Nation's college campuses see rising birth control prices
Aundrea Eichman
Issue date: 4/12/07 Section: News
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Despite rising prices at campuses across the country, the Health Center is doing its best to save students money on contraceptives, a pharmacist said.
Birth control prices have risen at campuses across the nation because of the Deficit Reduction Bill of 2005, which raised the fees drug manufacturers pay to participate in Medicaid. This resulted in companies not being able to offer as many prescription discounts to colleges.
Frank Calhoon, the Health Center pharmacist, said TCU was previously able to get subsidized birth control pills so they could sell them at a cheaper price, but the manufacturers have canceled those contracts.
Some prices have gone up from $15 to $40 at other campuses, Calhoon said.
"Over the past few years, the manufacturers have slowly canceled their contracts," Calhoon said. "And we have had to find other avenues such as switching to generics."
The other brands of birth control pills that have gone up in price within the past few years have been canceled and generic brands are being used instead, Calhoon said.
Calhoon said he found out Tuesday morning that the contract for the cheapest pill the Health Center has, Ortho Tri-cyclen Lo, is now null and void.
This is the only brand at the Health Center that will increase in price and there is no generic brand to offer at a lower price, he said.
The price change came about a year and a half ago, but the Health Center has a stockpile, so it is still able to offer Ortho Tri-cyclen Lo at the lower price of $22.50, Calhoon said.
He said the cost of the pill will not go up in price until the Health Center exhausts the contract supply. Then the price will probably at least double.
"We tried to order some last week, and the price already went up, and I told them not to order anymore yet," Calhoon said. "It went from $500 a case to $3,000. We are still looking at trying to find the best price for the students."
He said TCU has a contract with Bar Pharmaceuticals to get the pills at a cheaper price but the pricing is out of his control.
Birth control prices have risen at campuses across the nation because of the Deficit Reduction Bill of 2005, which raised the fees drug manufacturers pay to participate in Medicaid. This resulted in companies not being able to offer as many prescription discounts to colleges.
Frank Calhoon, the Health Center pharmacist, said TCU was previously able to get subsidized birth control pills so they could sell them at a cheaper price, but the manufacturers have canceled those contracts.
Some prices have gone up from $15 to $40 at other campuses, Calhoon said.
"Over the past few years, the manufacturers have slowly canceled their contracts," Calhoon said. "And we have had to find other avenues such as switching to generics."
The other brands of birth control pills that have gone up in price within the past few years have been canceled and generic brands are being used instead, Calhoon said.
Calhoon said he found out Tuesday morning that the contract for the cheapest pill the Health Center has, Ortho Tri-cyclen Lo, is now null and void.
This is the only brand at the Health Center that will increase in price and there is no generic brand to offer at a lower price, he said.
The price change came about a year and a half ago, but the Health Center has a stockpile, so it is still able to offer Ortho Tri-cyclen Lo at the lower price of $22.50, Calhoon said.
He said the cost of the pill will not go up in price until the Health Center exhausts the contract supply. Then the price will probably at least double.
"We tried to order some last week, and the price already went up, and I told them not to order anymore yet," Calhoon said. "It went from $500 a case to $3,000. We are still looking at trying to find the best price for the students."
He said TCU has a contract with Bar Pharmaceuticals to get the pills at a cheaper price but the pricing is out of his control.
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