No, You're not dreaming. Asda, a supermarket company that includes a pharmacy counter, announced today that it will sell IVF drugs on a not-for-profit basis to all UK private fertility patients. For one IVF cycle, that amounts to a saving of £820, bringing the cost down to £1,171.41, as opposed to the original cost of £1,993.93. That could mean more couples being able to afford a private fertility clinic.
Women up to 39 years old (there are other restrictions as well) can get one or two, rather than the recommended three cycles of IVF treatment, on the NHS. There is what has been called a "postcode lottery," which means that the decisions are in the hands of the local health authority. If they ar lucky, they will get free treatment and prescriptions at a very low cost. When they reach their 40th birthday, they are no longer eligible for free treatment or prescriptions. If a woman is approaching her 40th birthday without the perfect partner or is suddenly feeling broody, she could be out of luck. If a couple had embryos frozen and still have some stored, they could use those embryos in private medical care. The cost is prohibitive to many, so this commitment by Asda could mean all the difference.
Most eligible UK residents rely upon NHS care, especially in the area of fertility/maternity, which private UK medical insurance doesn't cover. When they switch over to a private treatment, their prescriptions are no longer free unless their GP thinks it is appropriate to their continued care. Inexperienced patients don't generally realize that different pharmacies charge what they like and have never compared prices, according to Asda's press release.
I applaud Asda for stepping in to the ring in support of their infertile customers. Of course, there is profit to be made from the thousands of new shoppers who will be diverted away from Superdrug, Boots and other supermarket chains. I would certainly consider shopping for my weekly groceries at Asda instead of Tesco or Sainsbury's as my way of saying thanks, if I was trying to conceive through IVF (I'm not). It really cheers me to see a huge company recognizing how difficult it is for infertility patients to make a fundamental life choice made unavailable because of the cost. Perhaps the pharmaceutical companies will take note and lower their profit margin too.
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