New IVF Schedule

I met with the IVF coordinator at Fertility Treatment Center last week to sign paperwork and get my schedule for the next try in May. My doctor maxed out Follistim, added a couple more medications, Lupron and Femara, and substituted Ovidrel for Hcg. Most pharmacies are sold out of Hcg because it's being used for weight loss now. The good news is that Ovidrel is a pill, rather than an injection and as effective. The dates and doses are subject to change based on my response to the hormones and how the embryos develop, but I'm asking for 5/15-5/30 off from work. The orange days are days when I have lots of injections, blood draws and ultrasounds. The red days are days where the major procedures are performed and I have to rest due to anesthesia or following implantation.

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If it looks too good to be true, it probably is, even with medical care

As reported by CNN News, a recent study by the University of Chicago found that people receiving free sample medications end up spending more money on drugs in the long run, about 19% more. This is not a surprising finding. Drug sample are an advertising ploy by pharmaceutical companies. They give the drugs to doctors so that they will give them to their patients to try and then switch to a prescription after the patient finds that the drug works for them. The drugs for which free sample are available are generally newer and more expensive than other drugs. This is a double whammy for the consumer. When you use a free sample, you are generally at higher risk for previously unknown side effects and you, and/or your insurance company which raises rates based on rising cost of service, will generally pay more for the prescription. Of course, new drugs are great if they do what they're supposed to and you really need them. However, don't be afraid to ask your doctor a few key questions when you're offered a sample (or any other prescription for that matter):

• How long has this drug been on the market?
• What are the known side effects?
• How often and for how long will I need to take this drug?
  
• What is the retail cost of the drug?
• Are there any other alternatives, including generics, that are also effective that have been on the market longer? If so, how do they compare?

Your doctor may or may not be able to answer some of these questions. Your doctor's primary concern is for your health, not your pocketbook, and they may not know all of the alternatives. You may end up having to ask your pharmacist and they may call the doctor for you and ask for a change in prescription if you agree that there may be a better option. Asking questions of your doctor and pharmacist makes you a better consumer of your own health care. If you encounter a doctor who won't take the time to explain your diagnosis and prescriptions in the detail you need and answer questions you may have about them, at least get a second opinion and consider finding a new doctor.

Below are some web sites to visit for drug price comparison and/or alternative drug information. Several US states have prescription price comparison sites, but they may not be as effective.

• Destination Rx
• Pharmacy Checker
• PillBot
• Consumer Reports
• World Health Organization
  

Here are some sources of information on use and side effects of prescription drugs.

• drugstore.com
• AARP
• Drugs@FDA
• Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
  

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