Students see spike in prices Erin Hemme-Froslie Tuition and books aren’t the only things costing college women more money this So is their prescription birth control. Federal reimbursement rules no longer allow incentives for drug companies to offer college health clinics deeply discounted prices. As a result, prices for some prescription contraceptives have doubled and tripled. “It’s been a crushing blow to everyone,” said Pat O’Donnell, pharmacist at student health services at the University of North Dakota. “Students are shocked and frustrated, but they also understand that there’s nothing we can do about it.” The change has affected several name-brand contraceptives that used to be available at university health clinics for less than generic drugs. For example, students used to be able to purchase NuvaRing, a vaginal ring that releases hormones, for about $12. Now it costs between $30 and $50 at local campuses. There is no generic equivalent. “Students have to make a decision: Pay for it? Go without? Switch to pills?” said Andrea Stengl, pharmacist at Hendrix Health Center at Minnesota State University Moorhead. “It’s a tough choice.” The pricing rules – issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and initiated by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 – went into effect in January. But many college students didn’t feel the blow until this fall. Clinics tried to stockpile the lower-cost contraceptives as soon as they heard about the impending price increases. Katie Ryan, a senior at UND, was surprised by the cost increase when she had her prescription filled in August. A month’s supply of Ortho Tri-cyclen Lo, a pill, used to cost $12. Now she will pay $49.50. “That’s a lot of money for any college student,” Ryan said. “It’s hard to pay that much when you also need money for food or living expenses.” She’s not sure what she will do in the future. About 39 percent of undergraduate women take birth-control pills, according to the American College Health Association. Campus pharmacists believe students will either seek out a generic birth-control pill or a different form of contraception, but that may present some health risks too. If a student switches from a hormonal method of contraception to a barrier method, she may be less likely to visit a gynecologist, said Mary Hoban of the American College Health Association in Baltimore. “She might not receive regular Pap tests or screening for STDs (sexually transmitted diseases),” Hoban said. Also, some students will be forced to choose an option that doesn’t fit their lifestyle. For example, the NuvaRing is popular among college-aged women because their flexible schedules make it difficult to take a pill at the same time every day – the most effective way to prevent pregnancy, Hoban said. Some students like their birth control enough that they will pay for it, regardless of the cost, said Alicia Fitz, pharmacist at North Dakota State University’s student health center. She fills about 30 prescriptions for birth control every day. The clinic warned students last spring that they would see price increases. The biggest jump was expected with the NuvaRing, which Fitz estimated would cost more than $50. This fall, students on NuvaRing were pleasantly surprised to find it would only cost $30 a month, Fitz said. Once the shock of cost wears off, young women say they’ll talk to their physician about other options, she said. A patient will occasionally mention her boyfriend is willing to pay half the cost, Fitz said. “In most cases, they realize it is cheaper than the cost of being pregnant and having a baby,” she said. “They’re not happy about it, but they will pay for it.”
Readers can reach Forum reporter Erin Hemme Froslie at (701) 241-5534 |
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