During the holidays, many patients may not realize that they may run out of medications during the holiday break. Today I discuss a problem that can occur during an IVF cycle. I have had a few patients call me and ask me what they should do if they run out medications during an IVF cycle.
Scenario: You are undergoing an IVF cycle. All your sonograms show that you have recruited a number of follicles. The doctor told you the dose of injectable medication for this evening. However, when the time comes to inject the medication, you realize that you are out of medication! You thought there was enough medication left but you actually don’t have enough medication for the dose this evening. Stress sets in as you realize that you may not be able to get any extra medication quickly enough as all the fertility pharmacies are closed or none of the local pharmacies stock your special IVF medications. Even more stress arises as you begin to worry that you may ruin the IVF cycle.
This is a scary scenario. You have worked so hard to make it to this point in the IVF cycle and you don’t want anything to jeopardize your chances of conceiving. So, what are your options?
- Call your doctor: Likely one of the physicians in the practice will be available to help you.
- If you cannot get your doctor, call your fertility pharmacy’s hot line: Some of the fertility pharmacies have hot lines that will help you locate your medications in a local pharmacy so that you can pick up some medications emergently.
- If the fertility pharmacy is unavailable, try calling some local pharmacies to see if they stock any of the medications you need. Unfortunately, most local pharmacies do not stock the special injectable medications needed for an IVF cycle. However, it never hurts to call and ask, just in case they do have some in stock.
- If you have exhausted the above options: Do not panic. Call your doctor’s office in the morning. They may be able to get you medications immediately or help you purchase medications that will arrive that day. Although not ideal, injecting IVF medication the following morning can still benefit your IVF cycle.
Thankfully, the above scenario occurs infrequently. However, while undergoing IVF, make sure you have enough medications until the next time you see your doctor. At Dallas IVF, we recommend that the patient keep an active log of the amount of medication she has remaining. After the patient injects her medication, she subtracts the used amount from the total in the log. Once you are running low with medications, let your doctor know so that the IVF center can help you order more medication in a timely manner.
Dr. Lowell T. Ku, M.D. is an award winning and leading Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility specialist at Dallas IVF, one the nation’s premiere infertility centers. Doctor Ku clarifies the many confusing terms used in the world of Infertility using straightforward explanations.
