Where do you get your HRT?

[KabitTarah]

What pharmacy do you get HRT meds at? (Legally, of course)
Why?

I would normally use CVS, but I don't know if my wife will want me to (she knows people at many of them).

[Carrie Liz]

When I still had health insurance, Walgreen's. My insurance completely covered the cost. When I got fired, though, I was forced to switch to Walmart, because taking advantage of their $4 prescriptions cut my monthly costs by 80% and let me still be able to afford them. At any other pharmacy, I'd be paying close to $120/month out of pocket for them. With the Walmart thing, it's $25. Thank God for that.

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

I was getting them from Walmart.  $20 for 90 days.  But I started to get them from the county pharmacy, I can charge it to the account.

[Rachel]

CVS for scripts covered by insurance (AA and E)
Walgreens (owned by Mazzoni Center) for 2 scripts not covered by insurance, Fenasteride ($18.80) and Cialis ($15.80).

Cialis has 30 pills and there are 5 refills. I think the PA-C was having fun with me with this script. I think I used 2 in 3 months.

[Miss_Bungle1991]

K-Mart. It's all covered by my insurance. One of the happiest days for me was when I got medical insurance in 2008. I was still on three scripts and paying almost $200 out of pocket so it was a huge help.

[KabitTarah]

Thanks! Hopefully my insurance covers it... they have exceptions for gender transformation, but HRT is often still OK in the pharmacy plans, AFAIUI. It looks like wal*mart is my best bet, just in case (and since CVS might not be a good idea for my wife)

[Antonia J]

My employer requires me to get my ongoing meds through mail order pharmacy manager. $12 for 3 months supply. My employer's insurance pays for all transgender transition related drugs and surgeries. They are very progressive and a great place to work.

[Ashey]

I'm paying OOP so I go with Walmart since their prices are pretty decent. If my prescription changes in Feb, I might have to go to CVS. Walgreens if I have to, but when I got my first prescription I went there and it wasn't as cheap as it could have been. Btw GoodRX is a great site for price comparisons between all these places, and they have coupons! Took $20 off my Spiro last time.

[FalseHybridPrincess]

I get my hrt from a locan pharmacy close to my house...lol

I pay 2 euros for e pills and 15 for aa 

[LordKAT]

Walgreens, Stroheckers.

[Ms Grace]

Most of those meds are covered under our national health scheme in Australia - I get mine from a local pharmacy. I love the weird look the guy behind the counter gives me (I buy them in guy mode)...

[Antonia J]

.... I love the weird look the guy behind the counter gives me (I buy them in guy mode)...

The look is the best. I have a young lady who helps me and she always asks, "Uh, er, do you know what these are for?"

[Cindy]

Like Grace my local Pharmacy. They had a vote on my name change! They have been great.

[Jenny07]

Like my two other Aussie sister (partners in crime), I go the chemist near work right in the main shopping mall in the centre of Sydney. It's a big chemist and always. So far not one word other than to pay my $20 and go. Pretty easy so far.

[MaryXYX]

I just use the pharmacy attached to my doctor's practice.  I can request a prescription refill online and the meds are waiting for me in the pharmacy a day later.  I'm on the paperwork as female and old enough that I don't pay for prescriptions so it's very easy.  I have talked to the pharmacist about some concerns I had about the meds and he said he has to be aware of what people are taking and he knows why I would be using the Decapeptyl - the testosterone blocker.  He doesn't mention it unless I do and I don't see any reason why his assistant would know.

[Ltl89]

Originally I went to CVS, but then my insurance changed and they wouldn't accept it.  At that point I switched to a local pharmacy, but then my insurance wouldn't cover it there either.  Apparently, I have to now switch to a mail order service for all maintenance drugs and have them sent to a rite aid.  Why I can't just drop my prescription off at a rite aid and instead have to have a mail order send it to them is beyond me.  I haven't received anything from the mail order service yet, so I can't verify the quality of the service.  Otherwise, my experience at pharmacies were decent enough.  Sometimes I got questioned about why I'm on this medication or who prescribes it to me or do I know what it will do, but it hasn't been an issue since my appearance has been changing.  Perhaps that says all they need to know, lol. 

[KabitTarah]

The questioning look and questions from the pharmacist should be fun and interesting
It sounds like that's a common theme!

Why would they think you didn't know? I mean... maybe if it was just spiro - since that's a diuretic and could have been mis-prescribed.

But... E? Of course you know why you're taking estradiol... I mean... really...

So... my plan is... any questions about E and I will definitely be saying "no, my MD just prescribed it and said it would help... it's not going to grow breasts or anything, will it?" (ok... I won't actually say that)

[Thylacin]

Right now, spiro and E are costing me 20 dollars a month. I checked walmart's $4 prescription list, and spiro and higher doses of E aren't listed. Some of you said that you have been paying $4 for your HRT at walmart, though?

[KabitTarah]

I know Spiro was on at the Walmart $4 list when I checked. I think that can be cheaper than getting the bigger tabs w/o insurance.





Edited for Dosage

[MadeleineG]

I filled my initial scrip in da big city because I don't trust the local to respect confidentiality. There are no secrets in a small town. 

The pharmacist who filled my scrip was priceless.

Her: "So, estradiol... do you happen to know what this... umm... was prescribed for?"
Me: "Yes. Absolutely."
Her: "Umm.. Okay. Do you have any questions about the estradiol? Side effects, for instance?"
Me: "No, I'm good."
Her: "Alright then. Well, if anything emerges that you'd like to discuss..."