Cheapest follistim?

MAK06

They doubled my dose from my first IVF based on poor response.  I hadn't given it much thought until the pharmacy called me the other day.  

Needless to say the almost $5000 for follistim made my eyes buldge out of my head, jaw drop to the floor and tears wouldn't stop.  All this right after I had faxed credit card authorization form for the cycle! Anyway, I'm over the shock and have been researching cheepest places!

 Lowest I found was A.lexander's Tw.in Pharmacy who I've used before and like. 

I did find it online at IVF Pharmacy . com for a fair amount cheeper but this scares me ... anyone use them??  

Any advice?  It's $750 for a 900IU. 

howleyshell

Your IVF nurse should know exactly who to send you to for the best price on follistim.

 I just got off the phone with my BFF who is an IVF nurse and she was explaining to me how the various pharmacy companies have reps in their office ALL the time wheeling and dealing to get their business for different products.  They will literally cut the price on one major drug just for the patients that go to their clinic in order to win the account (and the large volume of business coming out of this particular clinic)

I know for their office she orders a lot of her follistim thru Apothecary (sp?) during winter months because they're out of Arizona so she never has shipping delays due to bad weather.

So... the ones I've heard her talk about most are:

Freedom

Apothecary

Metro Drugs.

Seriously though - call your IVF nurse. She should be able to tell you hands down where to get the cheapest price on Follistim for your clinic. 

Another thought - ask if there's a reason in particular that they want you on Follistim and ask if they can help you find Gonal F or Menopur cheaper instead.  While some women will have better response to one or another they're very similar and viewed as equally efficacious by most docs. 

keg

I don't have too much advice but I'm in a similar situation with my dosages being significantly increased from my first IVF.  I didn't do a ton of comparative shopping but ordered from Walgreen's Specialty and I think it was $764 for 900IU (I think they have some program if you are OOP for meds).  However, I did want to say I used a trick my nurse taught me for my first IVF.  I asked if I could order three 300IU vials instead of one 900IUs because I think with the overfill you wind up with slightly more follistim that way (I can't remember it exactly but it may be something like 1050IU instead of 975ish).  In my situation, the price of the 900 vial was exactly 3 times that of the 300.  I figured every little bit helps if you don't mind messing with a few more needles!   

queenbone

Oh no! I'm so sorry you have to double the dose and double the price!  I'd cry too.

I didn't do any comparison shopping, but I am totally going to bookmark this thread since I'm hoping to cycle in June.