Those discounts had been slashed because of a 2005 federal law designed to save taxpayers money on Medicaid reimbursements for drugs. An unfortunate side effect of that law financially dissuaded pharmaceutical companies from selling their products to these pharmacies at reduced prices. So women began to see contraceptive pills and product costs rise from $5 to $10 a month to $30 to $50 a month.

These findings are encouraging for college women in particular. Since the 2005, college either passed the price increase to students or stopped selling contraceptives all together. Some were concerned students would turn to less preferred contraceptives or use nothing at all.

Last month we told you that Texas Christian University (TCU) had forged a deal with drug companies so that it could start offering discounted contraceptives to its students. More colleges are expected to follow suit now and swing deals with pharmaceutical companies. But buyer beware – clinics are still offering the Ortho Evra birth control patch, a popular choice for younger women who don’t want the hassle of a once-a-day pill. The patch, made by Johnson & Johnson, has caused serious health problems and even death in young women – a trend that has caused some consumer groups to petition the FDA to stop the sale of the birth control patch. Johnson & Johnson no longer markets the patch, however it is still widely available and has yet to be pulled from the market.

Source: Associated Press

SOURCE: Ortho Evra and Blood Clots › New provision would help lower cost of contraceptives for college students

However, students may want to weigh their contraception options more closely. Johnson & Johnson, the makers of the Ortho Evra contraceptive patch has been riddled with lawsuits claiming the patches cause serious side effects in young women, such as blood clots and even death. The patches reportedly can leak too much estrogen into the bloodstream causing the serious health problems.

According to reports, several lawsuits against the company have already ended with confidential settlements and Johnson & Johnson has already told plaintiffs attorneys that it is ready to work out settlements with the others it faces.

The Ortho Evra patch was originally marketed to women seeking an alternative to the once-daily birth control pill. However, since its debut there has been an emerging pattern of young women suffering from pulmonary embolisms and strokes.

Johnson & Johnson no longer actively markets the patch, but it is still available and has yet to be pulled from the market despite petitions by consumer group Public Citizen to the FDA to remove the product. The group also claims removal of the patch would have an environmental benefit, as the discarded patches could leak contaminants into the environment after they are disposed of by consumers.

SOURCE: Ortho Evra and Blood Clots › TCU students urged to heed contraception patch warnings