In amongst the excitement and nerves that you’re feeling on your fertility journey - needing to understand all about buying fertility drugs, supplements and other medications was probably far from your mind.
But actually it’s such a big part, and if you’re reading this post you’re probably already down the rabbit hole and wondering about whether you should look into the possibility of buying the fertility drugs you need online.
In this post I’ll be looking at why you might want to consider getting your drugs this way (and there’s many positives - not just monetary ones) and I’ll also explain the process that you go through if you decide it’s for you.
Affiliate disclosure - I may receive a commission if you choose to order through the recommended pharmacist.
We strive to make fertility treatment more affordable and accessible and so we now offer an introduction to a trusted and fully registered specialist pharmacy ensuring you’re in good hands.
Do you need a prescription to order IVF medication online?
So first thing to get out of the way is that yes, you will need a prescription to order your fertility medication online. But while they all will need a prescription, not all online pharmacists work the same way so here are some things to be aware of:
If you’re having your IVF treatment abroad then your prescription will be from that country too. Sometimes, pharmacists will require the prescription to be from their own country so you’ll need to get it rewritten.
This can be a huge added stress to the process, and can add more time too. It’s really important that when choosing your online pharmacy for your fertility medicine, that this is one of the questions you ask.
I know that this is often a sticking point for those I support with IVF abroad, so the pharmacy I recommend to supply IVF medication can accept your prescription from any country without it needing to be rewritten.
Is it cheaper to get your IVF drugs online?
Money is often the big driver for people looking to get their IVF medication online and the answer is YES it is often cheaper, although not always.
In the US medication costs for fertility treatment can be anything between $6,000 and $10,000 and buying online can give a significant saving where costs are in the $2300 - $4500 range, including shipping. Customs costs are included in quotes you get from my partner pharmacy, but do check this if using alternatives.
In the UK costs are initially a little lower and so the savings potential isn’t as much, but sometimes still can be the cheapest way of getting them, although it depends on the exact medication you need.
Here are some sample figures and the potential savings from ordering specific medicines through a specialist pharmacy:
Name | Cost (UK) | Cost (US) | Cost (online) |
MERIOFERT 150 (VIAL) | 70 POUNDS | 100 DOLLARS | 50 EUROS |
LUBION/PROLUTEX 25MCG (7VIALS) | 67 POUNDS | 9O DOLLARS | 55 EUROS |
PROGESTOERONE 200MG (15 CAPS) | 20 POUNDS | 50-70 DOLLARS | 15 EUROS |
GONAL (900) | 300 POUNDS | 1000 DOLLARS | 330 EUROS |
GONAL (300) | 100 POUNDS | 100 DOLLARS | 110 EUROS |
FOLLISTIM (900) | 700 POUNDS | 9000 DOLLARS | 400 EUROS |
SHIPPING COSTS | 130 POUNDS | 200 DOLLARS | 150 EUROS |
Other benefits of ordering your IVF medicine on the internet
Saving money on your IVF costs is one of the big drivers for fertility clients to buy their medication online, whether they do IVF treatment abroad or not. But there’s actually some other reasons that you might not have considered:
The first is that the online pharmacy is often a specialist in what drugs you are going to need. That means that if there’s a problem with supplying any of the medicine you need they have the knowledge and expertise to recommend alternatives. I’ve seen time and time again when local pharmacies, which can still be amazing and friendly, just can’t deal with the complexities of the fertility supplements and medicine.
Specialist online pharmacies also know about the need to provide needles and sharps bins when appropriate as well - when you’re waiting eagerly to begin your treatment, you don’t want to have another delay while you get the correct sized needles to inject the medication.
And finally since this is specialist medicine, you might also have questions and regular pharmacists may not know the answers to them. Ordering online and having access to someone who deals with this medicine all the time means that you can be sure your questions are answered confidently, quickly and professionally.
This IVF journey can be exciting but also full of questions, anxiety and wobbles so having this support on hand can really smooth any wrinkles that might happen on the way.
What's the process of ordering IVF drugs online?
The actual process with online pharmacies may vary but if you decide to use the one that I recommend, here’s how it works:
Step 1 - you complete a form and attach your prescription which is then sent to the pharmacy.
Step 2 - the pharmacy will contact you directly with a quote for your IVF medication or supplements - normally within 3 working days.
Step 3 - if you decide to go ahead, payment is made and your order is delivered quickly via a courier (usually FedEx or DHL for global deliveries). Delivery can be as quick as 48 hours to the UK and other places in Europe and 5-7 days to the USA and other places. This will include temperature control where necessary as some fertility medication requires this.
Step 4 - if at any time you have questions or need support the pharmacist is on hand to provide that specialist connection.
Please note that Your IVF Abroad does not provide any support. This is solely an introductory service to a trusted pharmacy.
As you can see, there are so many reasons why you might want to buy your IVF medication from an online pharmacy. Financially for sure, but also the ease and peace of mind that is offered because you know you’re dealing with specialists rather than generalists.
Want to understand all the options available to you around getting your IVF medication and supplements then book in a call to discuss your specific situation.