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Birth control prices get knocked up

Student health centers face cost increase for the pill

By Danae DeShazer

Friday, March 30, 2007

Birth control prices are drastically increasing at student health centers nationwide because pharmaceutical manufacturers ended their contracts with centers and are no longer offering affordable “clinic packs” for students.

The birth control medications this affects at Watkins are Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, NuvaRing, Desogen and Cyclessa. Their prices increased from approximately $8 to $40.

Cathy Thrasher, head pharmacist at Watkins, said there were still clinic packs available for Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo and Cyclessa, which students could purchase at the lower price. However, once Watkins pharmacy runs out, all students must purchase the product at wholesale. Thrasher predicted the amount they had left would last for the rest of the semester.

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Cathy Thrasher said that because of the Medicaid plan the companies were instructed to figure average price of the product. The price they gave to student health centers skewed the average price.

The contract cut resulted from the 2005 Deficit-Reduction Act, which benefited Medicaid, the federal health insurance program for the poor.

Thrasher said before the change, pharmaceutical manufacturers offered preferred pricing to student health centers. She said that because of the Medicaid plan the companies were instructed to figure average price of the product. The price they gave to student health centers skewed the average price.

Companies contacted Watkins in December, and said their contracts would cease Dec. 15. But, students weren’t affected until recently because Watkins still had enough low-priced clinic packs to distribute.

Thrasher said another problem is that two of the birth controls, Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo and NuvaRing, were unique. Most medicines have an original brand, and then other “copiers” called generics, which are cheaper but have the same effects as the original. Thrasher said students have concerns about not being able to afford these, and not being able to replace it with a different product.

“Some people take a while to find a product they like,” Thrasher said. “Students will have to balance the cost of the product with the cost of raising a child.”

Nicole Schmidt, Olpe junior, is financially independent, paying her bills, tuition and birth control, herself. Schmidt said she switched to NuvaRing about a year and a half ago because it was affordable at $7. Now that the price increased, she’s thought about changing her birth control.

“I still really like the product, and would love to keep using it,” Schmidt said. “But, I’ve already looked into other options because I just can’t afford it.”

Carolyn Johnson, gynecologist at Watkins, said if patients wanted to stay on the ring, which does not have a generic, many insurance companies will pay at least part of the cost.

Johnson also recommends that students who do not have insurance can share the cost with their boyfriend.

“Both are benefiting from the ring, and I would think many guys would be willing to help with the cost,” Johnson said.

Kansan staff writer Danae DeShazer can be contacted at ddeshazer@kansan.com.

— Edited by Trevan McGee

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