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NEWS
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY JULY 8, 2009
HEALTH
Pharmacy hopes for affordable birth control by August
BY STEPH SCHNEIDER sschneider@kansan.com
For the last three years, contraceptive prices at the Watkins Memorial Health Center pharmacy have steadily increased. But beginning in August, at least one birth control brand may be sold at a lower price.
The Federal Deficit Reduction Act that began in 2006 altered how drug makers calculated rebates, making it more expensive for manufacturers to offer university pharmacies a discounted price. But at Watkins pharmacy,the contraceptive Loestrin 24 may be offered at the price it was at before the act if a petition and contract are approved.
The Federal Deficit Reduction Act did not affect Watkins pharmacy right away, Cathy Thrasher, Watkins pharmacist, said.
"We had enough inventory to supply students for a while," Thrasher said.
But the act has made it more
expensive for drug companies to sell contraceptives to colleges and other health care facilities, which makes the student price steeper and the demand for less expensive contraceptives higher.
When contraceptives such as Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo's price increased, revenue at the pharmacy decreased dramatically, Thrasher said.
Ione Fairchild, Wichita sophomore who has been on birth control since she was 11, said she gets her contraceptive, Yaz, through Dillons.
"One month I was paying $45 for my pills, the next it was $63," Fairchild said. "Saving almost $15 really matters to students."
If the price was less through Watkins pharmacy, Fairchild said, she would switch.
"I haven't really compared prices yet," Fairchild said. "But it's really expensive either way."
Ken Sarber, a Wellness Resource Center public health educator, said he had not noticed students complaining
to anyone at Watkins about contraceptive pricing.
"They complain to people who do the pricing," Sarber said.
The March 11 approval of the Omnibus Appropriations Bill asked manufactures to return contraceptives to lower prices for universities.
"Manufacturers can offer nominal prices to the University if they want to," Thrasher said. "We hate not being able to offer reasonable prices to students."
Thrasher said things had progressed thanks to a pharmacist in Florida who sent a letter to a contraceptive manufacturer and convinced it to lower its prices. The contract was approved by manufactures and the contraceptive Loestrin 24 was then offered at the lower price.
During finals week last semester, Thrasher, with the help of a few students, produced a petition that asked manufactures to return contraceptives to original lower prices. The petition lasted through the end of June and
10 MOST PURCHASED BIRTH CONTROLS AT WATKINS MEMORIAL HEALTH CENTER
1. Tri-Previfem: $15 6. Ocella: $43.45
2. Aviane: $15 7. Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo: $55.50
3. Apri: $11 8. Kariva: $19.15
4. YAZ: $63.70 9. Cryselle: $15
5. NuvaRing: $59.70 10. Loestrin 24: $24
was created to show there was support by college students to reduce contraceptive prices. "We got about 1,000 signatures showing support," Thrasher said. "Now we just have to figure out who to send it all to."
"We know students are on a limited income," Thrasher said. "And students are our business."
Once the appropriate paperwork, including the petition, is sent and approved, Thrasher said, Loestrin 24 will be available at a lower price.
Patricia Denning, senior student health physician, said there had not
yet been a break in having more affordable contraceptives.
"We are doing everything we know we can legally", Denning said. "But manufacturers have no requirement to change prices."
The student health fee, which is currently 60 percent of Watkins' budget, was created to take care of students, Thrasher said.
"If contraceptive prices decrease, it's a win-win for us and students," Thrasher said.
— Edited by Jason Baker