Best Buy announced Wednesday that it will provide a broader range of hearing goods and services this autumn, after the announcement by federal regulators that they will authorize the sale of over-the-counter hearing equipment.

By the autumn, the Minneapolis-based firm expects 300 of its more than 1,000 locations to have hearing solutions displays with around 10 hearing devices accessible. According to the company, it has already begun offering an online hearing screening tool.

Best Buy's campaign comes as the US Food and Drug Administration this week approved the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids, which would allow those with mild to moderate hearing loss to purchase devices from shops without the requirement for a medical evaluation, prescription, or fitting adjustment. The FDA will continue to oversee the quality of OTC devices, which it expects to be accessible as early as mid-October when the regulation goes into force.

Hearing aids for severe hearing loss or for persons under the age of 18 still require a prescription.

According to the FDA, the new regulation is likely to reduce the cost of hearing aids. According to the government, about 30 million persons in the United States might benefit from hearing aids.

Best Buy has already offered hearing devices such as personal sound amplification items, TV amplifiers, and hearing protection devices, but the new OTC device category opens the door to additional goods.

Customers will be able to purchase gadgets using health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts. Best Buy advises customers to check with their insurance carriers to ensure that the gadgets are covered.

"Our expanded hearing selection and redesigned store experience will enable customers to simply locate a hearing loss solution from trusted companies," said Best Buy category officer Frank Bedo in a statement.

In pre-market trade, Best Buy was down around 2%.