Dr. Jack Wazen is an otolaryngologist in Sarasota at the First Physicians Group. He has more than four decades of experience. I interviewed him in 2019 on the topic of cochlear implantation for this website.

The current hot-button topic is Over the Counter (OTC) hearing aid. They were recently approved by FDA for sale in pharmacies and other outlets. These devices are designed for mild to moderate hearing loss and expected to expand the availability of hearing devices at a lower price than prescription.

They may be purchased without a professional hearing evaluation. Is obtaining a hearing aid without a medical exam be good or bad for the public? Is a lower price necessarily the only consideration for a person with a hearing loss?

I was glad that Dr. Wazen was able to sit down with me an opine on this issue and other aspects of OTC hearing aids.