Quick answer
To buy a CPAP machine in Canada, get a sleep test and a diagnosis, get a prescription from a physician or nurse practitioner, check provincial funding and your insurance before you pay, then order from a Canadian supplier. No federal law requires a prescription to sell a CPAP machine, but insurers and provincial programs do, and at Virtual Sleep Care a prescription must be on file before a machine ships. Masks and supplies do not need one.
Do you need a prescription for CPAP in Canada?
For the machine, in practice yes. Health Canada’s Medical Devices Regulations control which devices can be sold, but they do not require a prescription for a consumer to buy one. Insurers and provincial programs, however, will not pay without a prescription and a sleep study, and Alberta’s health information service advises buyers to choose a supplier that asks for a prescription before selling CPAP equipment.
| Item | Prescription on file? |
|---|---|
| CPAP or auto CPAP machine | Yes, before the machine ships |
| Masks and mask cushions | No |
| Tubing, filters and water chambers | No |
Who can write it: a physician or nurse practitioner, based on a sleep study. In Ontario, the Assistive Devices Program (ADP) only funds CPAP prescribed by a physician registered with ADP, after a Level 1 in-lab study at an ADP-registered sleep laboratory.
How to buy CPAP, step by step
- Get tested. A home sleep test or an in-lab study confirms sleep apnea and its severity. Many insurers ask for the result, and some only cover CPAP when the AHI is 15 or more.
- Get a prescription. Your physician or nurse practitioner writes it after reviewing the study. Keep a copy for your insurer.
- Check funding before you pay. Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have provincial programs, and some insurers require you to apply to them first. Most group plans want a quote for pre-approval: add the items to your cart and select Download a price estimate (PDF) for an itemized estimate you can send with your request. See CPAP funding by province and what each insurer needs.
- Choose your machine and mask. Compare machines in the buying guide and find a mask style with the mask finder.
- Order and send your prescription. We confirm the prescription before a machine ships. Masks and supplies ship without one.
- Set up and follow up. Our registered respiratory therapists can help you set up, fit your mask and answer questions in your first weeks. Take the mask fit quiz if the mask leaks or feels uncomfortable.
Delivery, returns and receipts
- Shipping: free on eligible orders of $99 or more after discounts and before tax; $19.95 below $99. See our Shipping and Delivery Policy for delivery areas and exclusions.
- Mask fit: if a mask you buy from us does not fit, you can exchange it once for a different size or style within 30 days of delivery (conditions).
- Receipts: your receipt lists each item with its brand, model and price in Canadian dollars, which is what insurers and the medical expense tax credit ask for.
- Service area: our clinical services, such as sleep testing and consultations, are not available in Quebec or the territories.
How to check a CPAP machine is licensed in Canada
Health Canada’s Medical Devices Active Licence Listing (MDALL) lets you search licensed devices by device name, company or licence number. A machine bought from outside Canada may not be the licensed Canadian model, and some plans do not reimburse foreign purchases.
Sources
- Government of Canada. Medical Devices Regulations (SOR/98-282). https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-98-282/FullText.html
- Alberta Health Services, MyHealth Alberta. Buyer’s information for CPAP therapy equipment. https://myhealth.alberta.ca/alberta/Pages/Buyers-Information-for-CPAP-Therapy-Equipment.aspx
- Ontario Ministry of Health. ADP policy and administration manual: respiratory equipment (November 2024). https://www.ontario.ca/files/2024-11/moh-adp-policy-and-administration-manual-respiratory-equipment-2024-11-08.pdf
- Health Canada. Medical Devices Active Licence Listing (MDALL). https://health-products.canada.ca/mdall-limh/
- Veterans Affairs Canada / Medavie Blue Cross. Program of Choice 9 letter to providers (2022). http://pub.medavie.bluecross.ca/pub/0001/PublicDocuments/POC%209%20Letter%20to%20providers.pdf
Disclaimer
This page is general health information, not medical advice, and it does not replace an assessment by a qualified health professional. Virtual Sleep Care does not currently serve Quebec, Yukon, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut.