Shopping for IVF Medication

PierremontQuaker03

Hi All,
we are in the process of going thru IVF - we had success with thru the NHS with our first and we would like another so we are going private thru the NHS. Obviously it is expensive to do and the medication required is expensive - does anybody have any advice on buying the drugs needed - we got a quote from the hospital but to be fair the nurses who are assisting with our treatment said it would be best to shop around?
I have got a couple of quotes - Sainsburys seem to be the cheapest - searching the internet Asda were supposed to be cheapest but were more expensive - so I might try again.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated if anybody has been thru this?
Thanks

tea_lover

Got ours from Healthcare at Home - a LOT cheaper than some other places.

Good luck

FatVonD

Ask your GP if they would be prepared to prescribe it on the NHS.

I wasn't entitled to IVF treatment on the NHS (nobody was in my area) but my GP was prepared to prescribe the medication for me to be treated privately for 3 cycles.

InsideInsurance

Make sure your comparing apples and apples, brand of drug can greatly affect the price.

For non-IVF meds the Mrs was prescribed by her private consultant (for the volume initially thought needed it was cheaper than the NHS prescription charge) the price could vary vastly depending on which brand Boots happened to have in stock that time, similarly got charged different amounts by the same branch of Boots on different occasions for the same brand.

tea_lover

FatVonD wrote: »

Ask your GP if they would be prepared to prescribe it on the NHS.

I wasn't entitled to IVF treatment on the NHS (nobody was in my area) but my GP was prepared to prescribe the medication for me to be treated privately for 3 cycles.

If this is an option OP, make sure you get a pre-payment certificate. We got NHS prescriptions for our first cycle. The PPC meant we paid £29 rather than the £110 it would have been to pay for each one separately.

PierremontQuaker03

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Make sure your comparing apples and apples, brand of drug can greatly affect the price.

For non-IVF meds the Mrs was prescribed by her private consultant (for the volume initially thought needed it was cheaper than the NHS prescription charge) the price could vary vastly depending on which brand Boots happened to have in stock that time, similarly got charged different amounts by the same branch of Boots on different occasions for the same brand.

Thanks for the reply - this is what is putting me off buying from a supermarket - is the quality as good - which brand will I be getting? I may pay a bit more to ensure I get it from a reputable source!

tea_lover

You'll be given a prescription wherever you go. You can't just buy the drugs so you'll get the same whichever pharmacy you use - whether that's the one at the hospital/clinic you use, a supermarket or an online supplier.

I found the difference in quotes was over £1000 so definitely wroth shopping around.

LilElvis

From memory, if you buy from somewhere like asda you will also need to pay for needles and a sharps bin, whereas with Healthcare at Home you get everything. Also, ask your clinic what happens in the event that you need additional medication because the cycle lasts longer or they up your dosage. My old clinic kept some supplies on hand, but you certainly don't want to be driving around pharmacies trying to find one that has the drugs in stock if they are needed immediately.

Try looking on the Fertility Friends Forum as I know there are several London based pharmacies that are very highly recommended for shipping ivf meds and there have always been a lot of threads on this question. All so lots of people who can give good advice.