Morning all,
I'm due to have a frozen transfer on Monday(lining at 8mm at last) and will need to take Progesterone for 12wks if successful. My question is, I'm having IVF privately abroad, so if I'm lucky enough to get a positive, will my GP in London/ the NHS provide me with the remaining meds I need to continue to support the IVF pregnancy when I tell them I had the treatment abroad? Anybody with experience?
Thank you x
I am also doing IVF abroad and I have asked CRM NHS is they can issue a prescription for some medications as I was their patient before. We did 2 cycles with NHS and they told me sorry we cannot help you. I am not sure about GP. I used fertilit2u to get my medications as they are discussing direct to your clinic or I ordered them from abroad as it was cheaper.
I had treatment in Spain and my GP has given me medications on a private prescription. I also bring back what I can from Spain.
Do you remember how much you were charged for a private prescription in the UK?x
Just a thought.....would your clinic give you a prescription for more meds to take home with you after transfer if its successful? This is what I got mine to do to take me up to after my 7 week scan and then posted another out to me once this was ok. I just took mine along to Asda, they take foreign prescriptions there so long as its an original and not an email or photocopy etc.xx
Yes they will. I just wasn't sure if my prescription would be valid in the UK.
So long as you have a signed prescription most places will take it. I had treatment in Greece and nobody batted on eyelid! They do their own checks in the background and Im sure it'll be fine.xx
I work in NHS Commissioning. From what I understand GP’s can’t prescribe fertility drugs on an NHS prescription, it’s only NHS fertility clinics that can do it. GP clinical computer systems in the surgery prevent them from doing it. They won’t be allowed to refer you to an NHS Fertility clinic unless you meet the clinic criteria for IVF treatment, which I’d imagine you don’t if you’ve gone abroad. If you did, it may be difficult as the clinic are likely to refuse to pick up the clinical responsibility for you after treatment abroad. Even if you could get referral and clinic did agree to see you you’d be well beyond 12 weeks before you got an appointment. Waiting lists are several months.
In my experience many GPs wouldn’t issue a private prescription either. In theory the person that issues the prescription is clinically responsible for your care whilst you’re taking that medication. As most GPs are likely to have little or no experience in fertility/IVF, most wouldn’t be comfortable issuing a private prescription as they wouldn’t feel comfortable monitoring you on the medication and knowing what to do if things didn’t go to plan. There are some that will, but just be mindful that they are well within their rights to say no, so I wouldn’t rely on that route.
Best off getting your clinic to send you a prescription (in the UK pharmacies will only take private prescriptions with full name and address and date of birth of the intended recipient, wet signature and GMC number of the prescribing Dr).
Good luck with getting your BFP x
Hi, I had IVF abroad and was successful on our last attempt. You may have to get extra medication from your clinic but once pregnant you can contact your GP as you would if you had fallen naturally pregnant an be referred into the midwifery care an/or local early pregnancy. You may have to arrange and pay for an early scan yourself as its likely you'll only get your 12wk scan through the NHS but there are load of companies like babybond, ultrasound direct, window to the womb that do scans. If you have any questions then please ask. Good luck.xx
I don't know about actual fertility medication but I was able to get my GP to prescribe my progesterone pessaries Ultrogestan 200mg as my UK based clinic gave us until the end of their treatment 7 weeks so my GP bridged the gap between 7-12 but the clinic wrote to them to tell them I needed them and as I say it's a UK based clinic.
How to start looking for IVF clinics abroad?
ICSI/ IVF abroad, Prague, 
IVF on NHS after failed private treatment?
IVF abroad and flying 
Taking IVF meds abroad
