Anyone who has had fertility treatment will know that the cost of the drugs can send the total bill soaring, and patients are often advised to shop around to get a reasonable deal on the drugs they will need.
Now Superdrug has announced plans to dispense fertility drugs with no mark-up on the cost - and this will also apply to other privately prescribed prescriptions. This is due to come into effect right away so if you're about to start a treatment cycle, it is worth checking the price at Superdrug as well as any other outlet you may be considering. However, do keep in mind that when Asda announced a similar scheme for fertility drugs a while back, some NHS hospital pharmacies were cheaper - so do make sure you check!
You can read more about the Superdrug plans here
Showing posts with label cost of fertility drugs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cost of fertility drugs. Show all posts
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
Monday, 3 May 2010
Why the use of cheap fertility drugs should be monitored
There's an interesting comment piece on the BBC website from Professor Bill Ledger of Sheffield University about the risk of cheap fertility drugs leading to multiple births.
There is more now awareness about the dangers multiple births can cause both mothers and babies, and this has led fertility experts to try to put back just one embryo during IVF treatment when there is a good prognosis. However, many women with less serious fertility problems are initially treated with much simpler and cheaper fertility drugs. These drugs are sometimes prescribed by GPs or at general hospitals, and their use is not regulated by the HFEA. Drugs such as Clomid can still lead to multiple pregnancies if women are not properly monitored when they take them, and the comment calls for simple ultrasound scans for all women taking fertility drugs to ensure that they are not putting their own, and their future children's, health at risk.
You can read the piece on the BBC website
There is more now awareness about the dangers multiple births can cause both mothers and babies, and this has led fertility experts to try to put back just one embryo during IVF treatment when there is a good prognosis. However, many women with less serious fertility problems are initially treated with much simpler and cheaper fertility drugs. These drugs are sometimes prescribed by GPs or at general hospitals, and their use is not regulated by the HFEA. Drugs such as Clomid can still lead to multiple pregnancies if women are not properly monitored when they take them, and the comment calls for simple ultrasound scans for all women taking fertility drugs to ensure that they are not putting their own, and their future children's, health at risk.
You can read the piece on the BBC website
Friday, 5 March 2010
Cost price IVF drugs from Asda
Congratulations to Asda on the decision to sell IVF drugs at cost price. So many people who need fertility treatment have to pay for it privately, and the expensive drugs needed for each IVF cycle make it an even more costly business.
Whilst I'm delighted by Asda's decision, what shocked me most was the profit most other outlets are currently making when they sell fertility drugs. Asda say that if you buy your IVF drugs from them, you will pay around £1,170.00 - buying the same drugs elsewhere could cost you at least £800 more! When you're already spending a lot of money on your treatment, that's not a saving to be sniffed at. Most of us tend to imagine that pharmaceutical companies are to blame for the high cost of drugs, but this reveals that High Street pharmacies could be making a very healthy profit from those of us with fertility problems too.
The Asda pharmacy is online at www.asda-pharmacy.co.uk
Whilst I'm delighted by Asda's decision, what shocked me most was the profit most other outlets are currently making when they sell fertility drugs. Asda say that if you buy your IVF drugs from them, you will pay around £1,170.00 - buying the same drugs elsewhere could cost you at least £800 more! When you're already spending a lot of money on your treatment, that's not a saving to be sniffed at. Most of us tend to imagine that pharmaceutical companies are to blame for the high cost of drugs, but this reveals that High Street pharmacies could be making a very healthy profit from those of us with fertility problems too.
The Asda pharmacy is online at www.asda-pharmacy.co.uk
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