The Guide
Prep & Cost
- IVF medications can cost thousands on top of the procedure — but there are real ways to reduce that significantly
- Always price-check before filling at your clinic's preferred pharmacy
- You do not have to use whoever your clinic recommends
- MDR will price match any competitor quote and take $100 off your order — always get a quote from them
- Your clinic can split prescriptions across multiple pharmacies — ask them to send different medications to wherever each one is cheapest
- You do not need a doctor's permission to get many blood tests done — you can order labs yourself online
- Most self-ordered tests cost $15 to $60 out of pocket
- 'In range' is not the same as optimal for fertility — know the difference
- Start supplements at least 3 months before a retrieval cycle — egg and sperm quality take time to improve
- Supplements are not a substitute for addressing root causes — optimize your labs and lifestyle first
Saving Money on Medications
Pharmacies and Discount Programs Worth Knowing About
MDR Specialty Pharmacy
The nation's leading independent fertility pharmacy, in business for over 30 years. They will price match any quote and take $100 off your order, guaranteed. Free nurse-led injection training, 24/7 pharmacist access, and nationwide next-day delivery. Call for a quote before filling anywhere else.
Costco Specialty Pharmacy
Members get significant discounts on fertility medications. Worth checking, especially for medications where pricing differs from MDR.
855-213-0070
Alto Pharmacy
Easy online ordering with an instant fertility medication price quote.
Fertility Instant Savings
Instant discount program for select EMD Serono fertility medications including Gonal-F, Ovidrel, and Cetrotide. No application required.
Compassionate Care Program
Income-based discount program for EMD Serono medications. May offer savings up to 75% for qualifying self-pay patients. Requires application and income documentation.
Canada Drugs Direct
Canadian pharmacy option for significant cost savings on some medications.
A Real Example — What I Actually Paid Across Three Retrievals
Retrieval 1 — Kaiser (Sacramento, 2022)
Pharmacy: Mandell's (Kaiser's default) — not shopped around
Out of pocket: approximately $4,844
What I learned: I had no idea I could shop around. My follicles also stimulated slower than expected and I needed extra days of medication mid-cycle — with no time to price shop.
Retrieval 2 — Victory (Canada, 2024)
Pharmacy: Twin Oaks (clinic's next-door pharmacy)
Out of pocket: approximately the same as Kaiser — saved maybe $100 despite being told Canadian medication was significantly cheaper
What I learned: The clinic's next-door pharmacy appeared to mark up prices. The savings never materialized. I didn't shop around because I trusted what I was told.
Retrieval 3 — CNY (Syracuse, 2026)
Pharmacy: Split between MDR and Costco Specialty
What I learned: CNY defaults to MDR, which is already a good pharmacy. But some specific medications were cheaper at Costco Specialty. I had CNY split the prescriptions — some to MDR, some to Costco — and got the best price on each medication individually.
The lesson that took three retrievals to learn: Your clinic will send prescriptions wherever is convenient for them — not wherever is cheapest for you. You can tell your clinic exactly which pharmacy to send each prescription to. You are allowed to split prescriptions across multiple pharmacies. Shop around before your cycle starts, not mid-cycle when you're stressed and time-pressured.