SAN LEANDRO, Calif. — iHEAR Medical announced Wednesday a nationwide expansion into 2,500 drugstore locations, following a successful 500-store test run. In addition, iHEAR plans to launch in additional drugstores across the United States by year end.

“The drugstore channel is poised to expand rapidly in response to the imminent changes in hearing aid regulations, implemented to improve affordability and access to basic hearing care,” stated Adnan Shennib, founder and chief executive officer of iHEAR. “iHEAR is aligning with the drugstore channels to serve millions of consumers who are currently denied access to quality hearing solutions. We are also expanding our brand in the rapidly emerging over-the-counter (O-T-C) market.”

The expansion into additional drugstores includes the iHEARtest, the only FDA-cleared home hearing screener, and the TReO Personal Sound Amplification Product (PSAP).  iHEAR’s products are now available in major drugstores, including at CVS, as well as online markets including Walmart.com, CVS.com, and Amazon. The full range of products can be found at iHEAR’s online store.

“Research shows that an estimated 67 to 86% of Americans with hearing impairment currently go untreated, putting them at risk of cognitive decline, lower income, higher incidence of depression, social isolation and falls among seniors,” stated Shennib. “We have seen first-hand in our daily interactions with hearing impaired individuals how better hearing can be a life-changing experience and our mission is to bring affordable, high-quality products to all who need them.”

The OTC Hearing Aid Act was recently passed into law to improve the affordability and accessibility of hearing aids. About 30 million Americans with hearing loss currently go untreated, making hearing impairment one of the most common form of disability in the United States.