People who use Olin Health Center as their birth control provider got a shock to their pocketbooks when the campus pharmacy raised some of its prices.
Olin officials say a variety of generic versions of the pill are now available and they are driving up costs for all types of birth control pills.
Costs for different formulations of the pill rose by as much as $20. Alesse, a form of birth control pill, was raised from $12 to $32. Other prices remained the same. The popular Ortho Tri-Cyclen still costs $12, according to Olin officials.
The switch occurred several months ago, but no customers were informed of the change, health officials say.
Olin sells about 7,500 monthly pill packs each year, said Dennis Martell, Olin's health educator.
A sign posted at the pharmacy states under Michigan law a customer can ask the price of a prescription before getting it filled by the pharmacist.
Olin officials said customers can arrange with their doctor to get their prescription changed to a more inexpensive type of pill.
"There's so many options for women now," said Martell, adding there are about 250 formulations of birth control pills to choose from.
Still, some students say they are unhappy to hear their prescription would be costing more each month.
"I'm personally upset because my insurance doesn't cover all of it," sociology senior Amy Sessums said.
"If you think about it, it's cheaper for (the insurance company) to prevent me from having a kid."
Many students have simply chosen to pay the higher fee than switch to another provider such as CVS Pharmacy, 240 M.A.C. Ave., or Planned Parenthood, 515 E. Grand River Ave..
"I guess I'm going to buy it anyway," merchandising management senior Diane Weber said. "I feel like because I can afford it then maybe I should."
But Olin is not the only birth control provider to see higher prices. Planned Parenthood officials said they also saw a rise in prices in September because health care costs in general are on the rise.
Prices for birth control pills at Planned Parenthood are dependent on the customers income, but range between $0-20, clinic manager Martha Adrian said.
Students whose birth control pill prices were not raised said they were relieved not fork over more cash.
"Dollar amounts mean a lot more to students than anyone else," education senior Stephanie Luberacki said.
But dollar prices shouldn't be the determining factor in birth control use, Martell said.
Finding the right synthetic hormonal contraceptive that doesn't have harmful side effects is critical to determining what method is good for each person, he said.
Pills are 98 percent effective if used properly and can produce side effects such as weight gain and loss of sexual stimulation, Martell said.
"There may be repercussions," he said. "You need to know your body really well."
Staff writer Dawn Klemish contributed to this report.
