CPAP recall: When it comes to regaining trust, Philips has work to do

YARMOUTH, Maine – Two years after a recall wreaked havoc on the CPAP market, things have stabilized, but providers have mixed reviews on the way Philips handled the situation. 

Philips first announced the recall of certain CPAP devices and ventilators in June 2021, sending providers on a rollercoaster of device shortages, confused patients, communication missteps and even recalls of reworked devices. 

“Would I deal with Philips again?” said Tyler Riddle, president of MRS homecare in Tifton, Ga. “That remains to be seen. I have my own personal opinions about the way the recall was done.” 

Providers say the majority of devices have been remediated by this point, but the bulk of the work – including educating patients and performing device fixes – fell on their shoulders, and there are still lingering issues. 

Troy, Ala.-based Jones Medical Supply has set up around 700 CPAP replacements so far, but the provider is still waiting on credits from Philips for the work it has done, says Jason Jones, president. 

“It’s aggravating they can’t get their credit straight,” he said. “I owe them money, so they won’t ship me product. (They need to) just walk the credit across the hall to accounts receivable and it will cover my bill. Our reps are all gone, and we have no relationships with them anymore.”  

For Troy, Mich.-based Sleep Solutions Home Medical, the recall also extends to ventilators. Robyn Parrott, president, says she currently has a tower of Trilogy vents in her warehouse that are waiting to be recalled and fixed. 

“When they did the first recall on the vents, we were on it immediately and got our machines refurbished,” she said. “We put them out in the field and then they came back and said there was a second recall and we had to go get them. They came up with a loaner program and that’s fine, but we have to set up a patient on a Trilogy and now we have to set them up on an Evo and send the Trilogies back. It’s a vicious circle.” 

It remains to be seen whether Philips will regain its spot in the market, as other manufacturers have moved in to fill the gap. Still, no one is writing off the company, which despite its troubles has long built a solid reputation. 

“The fracturing of the market share has created that opportunity for those other companies, but whether they can capture realistic market share is still unseen,” said Woody O’Neal, vice president of Pelham, Ala.-based O2 Neal. “Especially on the patient interface side, Philips still has a very, very reputable name in those products and I wouldn’t be so sure they don’t get retain or get back some of that market share.” 

To do so, however, Philips is going to have to step up, says Riddle. 

“Philips will have to come out with a product that meets a price point that puts the market back where it was pre-COVID,” he said. “They’ll have to make a significant push on the clinical side to convince clinicians that their products are safe and back it up with resources to providers that allows us to promote their products over a competitor’s.”