Investigation on an Expensive Imported Device for Treatment of Insomnia
, tech.QQ.com June 11, 2009
Recently there have been heated discussions on an imported device, known as Alpha-Stim SCS (“SCS脑部电医学治疗仪” in Chinese), for the treatment of insomnia in many mainstream healthcare forums on the internet, particularly on its very high price of Y6500 which is prohibiting to many consumers. In the light of many locally produced and inexpensive products with similar functionality, is the “imported” tag on the Alpha-Stim able to support its very high price? Is the price deliberately pushed up for marketing purpose or is the product worth what it is paid for? To answer the question, the author has made a special investigation.
First and foremost, from the official website of the product, the author comes to understand that the SCS cranial electrotherapy stimulator has passed the requirements of such authoritative institutions as the FDA, SFDA and the European CE etc. The author then logs onto the SFDA website and browses through the listing under the “imported medical devices” tab. The search ends with two findings: “serial number 2211568; 2002 imported medical devices” and “serial number 2213509; 2008 imported medical devices”, indicating that the device has been re-registered in 2008. The importing country is USA and the product is a Class II medical device. Based on the information in the SFDA registry, the product has been on the China market for at least 7 years.
Next, since the product comes from the US, the author logs onto the FDA website to ascertain its status in the US. There has been no surprise. The product obtained approval from the FDA as early as in 1986 for the treatment of insomnia, anxiety and depression. This means that the product has been used in the US for over 20 years and is well established.
After that, the author calls up the distributor of the product in China via its toll-free 400 number to inquire on the features and sale of product. The person with the Customer Service explains to me patiently how to use the product and its underlying operating principles. He says that the target of the product is the group of people who suffer from insomnia or poor quality of sleep as a result of pressure in work and in life. The effect is particularly marked with people who regularly turn to large dosage of sleeping pills and tranquilizers to get sleep. When I ask about the price, I am told the same price as that in the header. The payment term is “cash on delivery” and there will be a comprehensive after-sales service. The person with the Customer Service declines to comment on the sale volume but the author understands that more than 120 medical institutions in China are using the product on patients with severe symptoms and that over 6000 units have been sold since the product entered the China market in 2008.
Finally, the author calls up and talks with a cranial specialist in a cranial hospital in Nanjing who says that treatment with an electrotherapy device is a welcome alternative to treatment with drugs. There is a tendency of drug abuse in this country in the treatment of insomnia, anxiety and depression. This state of affairs can be improved with the use of imported, advanced devices to treat insomnia etc. with safety in lieu of medication particularly among the high income group who can afford the relatively expensive imported devices.
At present, there are many devices in the market for insomnia and healthcare some of which are not properly regulated. Although many devices in the insomnia and healthcare market are cheap, they are often ineffective and even unsafe. Although the price of the imported “SCS cranial electrotherapy stimulator” is high, it is a properly regulated Class II medical device. Therefore, the author urges the consumers to have a clear understanding of a product before making a decision to buy it. Do not shoot in the dark.
Editor responsible: Brookli
