New Birth Control Pill Prices: Fall 2007

Birth Control Pills will no longer be available for $7 a pack this fall.

For many years, Inman Pharmacy was able to obtain discounted pills for Tufts students for $7 a month through a federal program for "underserved populations." Federal legislation passed in the fall of '06 eliminated this program. Fortunately, most health insurances, including student health insurance, do pay for contraceptives. So you will be able to get birth control for your regular co-pay. There are some quirks to be aware of:

• Your co-pay will depend on your insurance. Most insurance companies have a much lower co-pay for generic medications than for brand name - we usually recommend generics for this reason.
• Many, but not all, commercial insurances limit you to one pack of birth control pills a month. This is a nuisance, and you do have to plan ahead! If you are traveling, you can call the pharmacy and they can request an extra pack of pills from the insurance company.
• Student Health Insurance will allow you to get three packs of pills at a time (and if you are traveling and need more, you can call the insurance company to be allowed to get more). Their co-pay is $10 for generic contraceptives, and $25 for brand name.
• Mail order pharmacy programs offer convenience and cost savings, allowing you to get up to three months at a time for a lower co-pay. See if your insurance company has a mail order program (most do)
• If you are concerned about your insurance notifying your parents about your prescriptions, call the customer service number on the back of your insurance card and ask if they send home notification. It would be very unusual.
• Planned Parenthood is another option - they are able to offer discounted rates on some forms of contraception. See information on Plan in Davis Square.  There is a charge for having them prescribe your pills, so for most students it is probably more cost effective and convenient to come to Health Service

How to Get Birth Control at Tufts

I want to start birth control pills. What should I do?
If you are not taking birth control pills, and are interested in starting them, call the main number at Health Service (617-627-3350) and speak to the appointment desk. The secretary will give you an appointment to see a clinician and send you the information packet that you are required to read before your visit. To download the packet, click here. At your appointment, the clinician will get a medical history from you, and answer your questions. You can be given a prescription for birth control pills at this visit. The visit is completely confidential! You do not need to have a pap smear before being started on birth control pills, but depending on your medical history, your clinician may recommend a pap smear or chlamydia and gonorrhea tests at a follow up visit.

Why do I have to come to Health Service to get on pills? Can't it be done on line?
Birth control pills are prescription medications in the US. That means you need to meet in person with a clinician who can determine if pills are safe for you and what the best choice would be. Birth control pills are generally quite safe, but there are some women for whom they are dangerous and should not be prescribed.

I already have birth control pills prescribed by my doctor at home. How can I get them at school?
If your doctor practices in the US, he or she can call a prescription into any pharmacy in the country. Out of state doctors can prescribe in MA.  Although we do not have a pharmacy at Health Service, we do work with a local pharmacy, Inman Pharmacy in Cambridge, that delivers prescriptions to Health Service and you can pick them up here. Here are some suggestions:

1. Your doctor can call or fax your prescription to Inman Pharmacy, and specify that the prescription should be delivered to Tufts. If you have never had a prescription filled at Inman Pharmacy, you will need to provide them with a copy of your insurance card and credit card (so they can charge you). For more details about the pharmacy program, visit our pharmacy services page, or come to Health Service.
2. Your doctor can give you a paper copy of your prescription, and you can bring it to Health Service. We will fax it to Inman Pharmacy for you.
3. See if your health insurance has a mail order pharmacy program. This is very convenient for students - a three month supply of the medication gets shipped directly to them. Go on-line with your insurance, or call the customer service number to investigate.
4. If you have an active prescription on file at a pharmacy near home, you can ask to have the prescription transferred to Inman Pharmacy. Call Inman Pharmacy and they can tell you what needs to be done.
5. If your doctor is from another country and you need a refill, you will need to schedule an appointment at Health Service. We can start prescribing your pills.

How do I contact Inman Pharmacy?
Phone: 617-876-4868
Fax: 617-547-9521

Help! I'm about to run out of pills! What should I do?
If you are currently taking birth control and there are no more refills on your prescription, that usually means you need another appointment with your doctor! Here's what you should do:

1. Call the doctor's office who prescribed the pills!
   1. If we prescribed them, call us at Health Service. We can call in a prescription for a one month refill, to give you time to schedule the appointment you need - this may be a quick follow up appointment, or it may be your yearly GYN examination
   2. If your doctor at home prescribed them, call that doctor. They can call in a refill to Inman Pharmacy until you can make your follow up appointment with them.
2. If your doctor won't give you a refill, you can schedule an appointment at Health Service to have us prescribe your pills. If you run out of pills in the meantime and you need contraception, be sure to use a back up method such as condoms!
3. If you have an active prescription at your home pharmacy, you can have your prescription transferred to Inman Pharmacy. Call Inman to request a prescription transfer: 617-876-4868.

 Revised 8/07