UHS lowers price of birth control

by Nick Penzenstadler

Monday, April 16, 2007 00:00

University Health Services announced Friday it negotiated a new deal with generic contraceptive brands to offer lower prices for students.

After federal legislation forced pharmaceutical companies to remove their nominal price contracts, UHS was forced to double its prices on oral contraceptives in March 2007.

According to Kathleen Kuhnen, nurse manager of the Women's Clinic at UHS, contraceptives were offered at $7 to $8 per cycle before the legislation and then ballooned to between $20 and $22. Since demand increased for the generic pills, Kuhnen said they were able to renegotiate a contract so that they can now offer them for between $16 and $17.

"In the real world, you'd pay between $35 to $50 per cycle," Kuhnen said. "We're selling a lot of generic products, so the company that makes them was able to renegotiate a contract so 12 contraceptives can be offered at less than $17."

With the reduced prices, Kuhnen said students have more opportunities to find the pill that fits them best.

Yet despite the transition phase between the initial price hike and now, Kuhnen said most of their customers have stayed with UHS.

"Most of our students have stuck with us, and we've been able to give free samples," Kuhnen said. "I hope they'll be able to stay with it; over time, it was going to become harder and harder. It was important to get them through the first couple months with samples and some things."

According to a release Friday, the American College Health Association, of which UHS is a member, is working on creating an exemption to the federal legislation that raised the prices in the first place.

The association said it is "deeply concerned about any legislation, regulation or policy development that affects students' access to reproductive health care and education."

A UW freshman who spoke on the condition of anonymity said she was worried about rising prices that might lead to a student opting to go off the pill.

"Without the pill's protection, an unwanted pregnancy has a higher chance of resulting," she said, "bringing with it deeper costs and consequences than a pack of Ortho Tri-Cyclen a month."