OMG! IVF meds

[Anonymous]

I do not get any insurance for fertility meds. Cigna Specialty Pharmacy just quoted me almost $9k for one cycle of meds. Is this normal? I thought it would be 5k max. I am getting (excuse spelling) ganorlex, menopur, follistim, lupilite, endometrin. Cigna said I can get the meds anywhere bc I am paying cash. Where else should I look and are the prices really that different between pharmacies? The meds are more than the estimated (7k) cost of the IVF. I have a call into my nurse. This is through Shady Grove. I am 34 with unexplained infertility. Doc said I might have "a touch of PCOS".

[Anonymous]

Check the online pharmacy Freedom Fertility. I haven't used it but have seen it referenced many times. Also, the SG Rockville office has a pharmacy onsite that has cheaper fertility meds.

[Anonymous]

Thank you, PP. I didn't know there was a pharmacy at the Rockville location.

[Anonymous]

Also make sure you ask about donated meds in their closet. I donated mine so that others could benefit. Other pharmacies to compare: Grubb in DC and MDX in CA (where SG sent my rx). Also I think Grubb offers a cash discount and is willing to deal.

[Anonymous]

I had to use freedom fertility for my ivf meds and I think the total was almost 7k.. I couldn't believe it. Luckily I have some insurance coverage for meds but I'm sure it will be used up quickly.

[Anonymous]

I was a SGFC patient and also paid cash for the IVF medications. I was told that Freedom Fertility was the least expensive when paying out of pocket. They were great to deal with and ship to your house. I think for one cycle, my medications ran around 5k.

[Anonymous]

For my first cycle with SG, I naively ordered all the meds from Freedom Fertility Pharmacy. I also ordered the full amount, which I didn't end up using. For subsequent cycles, I ordered almost on an as-needed basis, so I wouldn't have leftover meds. I also price-shopped each medication at various pharmacies (Freedom, Alexander Twin, Grubbs, etc.) and ended up getting different drugs from different pharmacies (total pain for my nurse, but saved me money). There are also some discount programs in which you can enroll. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Also check ivfmeds.com. They ship from the UK so you have to plan ahead, but I've heard good things about them. Definitely shop around. Different pharmacies have different deals with the various manufacturers, so it's worth looking around.

[Anonymous]

For my first cycle, I got meds from Prosperity Pharmacy for $5000. Thanks to this forum I got to know about ivfpharmacy.com. For my second cycle, I ordered meds from them for $3500. They are much reasonable but the meds come from Israel. Same manufacturers as US but subsidized prices.

[Anonymous]

19:36 again. Prosperity Pharmacy is cheaper than Freedom. Ivfmeds.com is cheaper than Prosperity. Ivfpharmacy.com is cheaper than ivfmeds.com. Maybe there are still cheaper options but you will have to research.

[Anonymous]

I used Freedom and the customer service was excellent and they will give you an online price quote. Also you don't have to order the whole box / refill amount. At the end of my cycle I was able to order just 1 vial if needed.

Also any instructions I had - extra syringes, no more sharps boxes, etc. were always executed correctly.

[Anonymous]

I personally would not buy meds online EVER, but you do need to shop around for meds - try a multitude of pharmacies. Ask for generics. Tell your doc you might need him to revise the prescriptions for something cheaper (eg instead of endometrin, it might be cheaper to do progesterone shots.

[Anonymous]

Also, do make sure to ask the pharmacy rep about the discount plans. The last time I was on the phone with them I was in a good mood and joking around a bit and some discounts magically appeared. Ask them outright and be nice.

[Anonymous]

Alexander pharmacy had the best prices when I did ivf a few years ago

[Anonymous]

9K is really expensive, OP. What is the dosage you're on?
I was on what sounds like a similar protocol - same drugs, anyway - and spent $5K in meds for one cycle.

Shop around and also ask pharmacies for discount programs for patients without insurance. I got discounts on my menopur and endometrium.