Fertility treatments are associated with different types of medications.  The more conservative treatment options such as Clomid (clomiphene citrate) and Femara (letrozole) are readily available in most local pharmacies.  More advanced fertility treatments use injectable medications.  These fertility medications are often not stocked in local pharmacies.  A few local pharmacies may carry a small supply of medications.  More often, fertility clinics will work with a variety of specialty pharmacies that offer overnight shipping and competitive pricing for fertility medications.  Some insurance plans may dictate which pharmacy a patient can use.  In some cases the insurance cost may be higher than the discounted price through a specialty fertility pharmacy.

The various specialty pharmacies are competing with one another to win your business.  The coordinators at California IVF will have updated information on the various promotions, rebates, and special programs.  During the preparation phase of treatments such as IVF or Egg freezing, the coordinator will recommend a pharmacy based on individual needs and pricing.  A patient may receive a copy of their prescription and do their own price comparison.  Once the preferred pharmacy is identified, the prescription is sent to the pharmacy.  Pharmacies will then contact the patient for payment and shipping information.  Once this is arranged, the medications are shipped directly to the patient.

Patients should review an inventory of medications that are going to be used during a treatment cycle and make certain they receive all of the necessary medications.  Refills are also added to the prescriptions to make sure there will be enough medications to complete the treatment cycle.  It is important for patients to request their refills from the pharmacy in advance.  Insurance pre-authorization and shipping times may delay medications if patients do not allow enough time for the medication order to process.

The pharmacies also offer a variety of services including injection instructions and on-call pharmacy staff to handle common questions.  In most cases not related to the pharmacy’s billing, questions should be directed to the clinical coordinator to minimize any confusion in the intended instructions.  Medication calendars provide daily instructions for medications.  These calendars are specific to each person and should be followed carefully.  The California IVF staff will instruct each person on their calendar and medications at the start of the cycle.  We are available for questions regarding the treatment cycle and medications prescribed.

We work with a variety of fertility pharmacies.  Some of the more commonly used pharmacies include: