What is the definition of a oxygen concentrator?
In our business, we see a lot of customers who come to us after having wasted their money by purchasing "oxygen concentrators" on marketplaces like Amazon, thinking they were the same as medical-grade concentrators. Not only is this unfortunate, it's also dangerous, because a non-medical oxygen concentrator doesn't deliver the oxygen you need as prescribed by your doctor.
Medical oxygen is a prescription drug
The air we breathe contains 20.8% oxygen. A non-medical oxygen concentrator can be represented and sold as an "oxygen concentrator" so long as it delivers more than 20.8% oxygen. So, a seller could have a machine that delivers 20.9% oxygen and call it an "oxygen concentrator."
But these non-medical concentrators do not deliver the oxygen purity required for the medical benefits prescribed by your doctor. A medical oxygen concentrator must be able to deliver oxygen with a purity grade of up to 95.6% to be sold as such.
The sale of medical concentrators is regulated by federal law and requires a prescription from a licensed physician. Websites like Amazon are not permitted by law to sell medical oxygen concentrators. So, if you purchase a concentrator on Amazon or another site that doesn't require a prescription, you're not only wasting your money, you're also putting your safety at risk.
Do I have to have a prescription to buy a medical oxygen concentrator?
Yes, you must have a valid prescription from a licensed physician in order to buy, lease, or rent a medical oxygen concentrator. It is illegal for any seller to sell, lease, or rent you a medical oxygen concentrator without a valid prescription.
What prescription information is required for a medical concentrator?
A prescription for an oxygen concentrator requires the following information:
- Doctors NPI number
- Client's Name
- Client's date of birth
- Prescribed oxygen settings
It is illegal for anyone to sell, rent, or lease a medical oxygen concentrator to anyone without a prescription containing the above infomation.
I have access to a medical oxygen concentrator. Can I use it without a prescription?
Even if you have access to a medical oxygen concentrator and do not need to purchase or rent one, using medical oxygen without doctor's supervision is not recommended.
Remember, medical oxygen is classified as a drug and should not be used without medical guidance.
What happens if I purchase an oxygen concentrator on Amazon or another marketplace?
We know it might seem cheaper to buy an oxygen concentrator from Amazon, but here are just a few reasons you shouldn't.
Anyone can sell on Amazon
Anyone with an email address can open a store on Amazon, and oftentimes, when you think you're buying a product from the Seattle-based Amazon company, you're actually buying from a marketplace seller located anywhere in the world who rents space on Amazon.com to sell their own products.
Oxygen concentrators on Amazon can come from anywhere in the world
Many sellers on Amazon are based in China and other countries, which is also where their products are manufactured. While we're not saying other countries don't regulate their health and medical products, they may not have the same legal, health, medical, and advertising regulations for health and medical equipment as we do in the United States.
Theoretically, anyone that can put together an item that resembles an oxygen concentrator, snap a photo of it with their phone, and list it for sale on Amazon.com.
While many sellers on Amazon are honest, and while many foreign-made products are legitimate, it's important that you're aware of the risks when it comes to buying something important like an oxygen concentrator from a seller on a marketplace.
Note that Amazon is not the only marketplace. Many large retailers, including but not limited to Walmart, Sears, and The Home Depot, rent space on their sites to marketplace sellers these days. Even for seasoned online shoppers, it can sometimes be tricky to tell who you're buying from on a website. Even if there is a username or shop name, information about the seller and their location can be buried quite deeply on the site.
But Amazon has good return policies, right?
Yes, and no. Amazon stands behind products manufactured by or sold by Amazon. When it comes to items sold and shipped by marketplace sellers, the support and return policies are dictated by the individual sellers. When you send a message to "Amazon" about a defective oxygen concentrator, the message is forwarded to the seller to respond to.
If it's been 30 days past your purchase date, your chances of getting technical support or money back from a marketplace seller for an oxygen concentrator can be quite slim.
Amazon marketplace brands and sellers can "disappear"
Because anyone can open a store on Amazon, anyone can also close up shop without notice. Not everyone that closes their shop does so for nefarious reasons; they could be an honest seller who simply went out of business, retired, or moved to another platform for legitimate reasons.
But if a shop's products receive a lot of complaints or bad reviews, a seller could close their shop, change the "brand" and store name, and open a new shop, sometimes with the same product photos.
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While the above often aren't reason enough stop you, and even me, from buying ordinary, non-medical products on Amazon, they are important to remember when it comes to products that can adversely impact your health and safety—like oxygen concentrators.
We carry only genuine parts
Don't risk damaging your machine with 3rd party accessories parts that may not fit properly. We carry all the genuine parts and accessories for your Inogen and Oxygo concentrator. If you can't find a part or accessory on our website, feel free to get in touch with us to help you find what you need.
We're here to help
If you need help choosing the right concentrator for your lifestyle or finding the right parts or accessories for your exisiting concentrator, don't hesitate to contact us.