All patients require medical clearance from an audiologist, general practitioner, or ear, nose and throat specialist to obtain a hearing aid, or must sign a medical waiver. Patients can purchase devices from an audiologist, hearing aid dispenser or other professional licensed to dispense hearing aids. By 2020, the Over-the-Counter Act passed in 2017 will create a Food and Drug Administration regulatory classification for hearing aids intended for mild and mild-to-moderate hearing loss that are directly available over the counter to adults