HPV Vaccine Price Gauging?

On June 8, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer and other diseases in females caused by certain types of genital human papillomavirus (HPV). The quadrivalent vaccine, Gardasil®, protects against four HPV types (6,11,16, 18), which are responsible for 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts. On June 29, 2006, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP* ) voted to recommend use of this vaccine in females, ages 9-26 years.

The vaccine, Gardasil, is the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous genital lesions, and genital warts due to HPV.

The HPV vaccine is recommended for 11-12 year-old girls, but can be administered to girls as young as 9 years of age. The vaccine also is recommended for 13-26 year-old females who have not yet received or completed the vaccine series (For more information, visit www.cdc.gov)

Being the good doctor's daughter, I rushed to get an appointment for my own 14 year old daughter to get the first in the series of three vaccines.

While I was at my my own annual exam, I questioned my gynecologist about where to take my daughter and he suggested that I should bring her to his office as it would be "easier" then taking her to the pediatrician's office. He told me that the shot was pricey, about $250 per shot (about $750 in total). I had heard it might be very expensive, but as I knew it was necessary, and I am already used to the often high cost of any medical add-ons in the U.S., I didn't question this information.

Took my daughter for the shot, paid the $250 and left. All well and good.

Until...

I told my folks about the cost and my Dad went ballistic. He sent around some e-mails and got a response from the American Academy of Pediatrics: "The current average wholesale price (AWP) reported in Thomson Red Book for Gardasil (.5 ml pre-filled,syringe, single dose) is $144.00."

According to the CDC website, "The private sector list price of the vaccine is $119.75 per dose (about $360 for full series)."

My mother even did her research, called her own upscale upper West Side OB/GYN office who said they charge around $170.

Dad said the cost was outrageous and that I should ask for an immediate refund to reach a more acceptable amount.

Before doing that I did some more of my own research and called the pediatricians office. They said that they do give the vaccine, but I would need to pick up a prescription and then go to a local discount pharmacy to get the vaccine.

I called the discount pharmacy, they sell each dose for $140. Then, with co-pay, administering the dose would cost $155 at the pediatrician's office.

It was becoming clear that even with an added administration charge and a charge to cover overhead, I should not have had to pay anywhere near to $250 for one shot.

Armed with this information I called my gynecologist. It seemed that I must not have been the only irate mother/patient because the doctor apologized, saying that it seems he had "obviously been overcharged by distributor." He promised the price for the second shot would be closer to cost next time. I decided to give him benefit of doubt, let it drop and then raise the question of a partial refund when I took my daughter back for her next dose in about a month.

Then, while reading the papers today, I saw a simple ad for another OB/GYN office which mentioned that they offer the HPV vaccine. I decided to call and see what they charged...$200 for each shot!

I ran an internet search for HPV and cost discrepancies and couldn't come up with anything about price gauging. Perhaps it is too soon for this to come to light (The shot only received it's overall recommendation in June). But wouldn't it outrageous if doctors and distributors were taking advantage of this potential life saving vaccine which just happens to not yet be covered by insurance?