Et Cetera Sticker Shock

It may be an old drug, but its new use fetches a new -- and much higher -- price. Previously a treatment for cancer, Depo-Provera was approved in the U.S. in October as a contraceptive. But its maker, Upjohn, is now charging doctors and clinics around $30 for a three-month shot -- more than double its earlier price -- which means women will pay about $50. Upjohn maintains it is recouping drug-development costs, but doctors argue that research ended long ago and that many countries have used Depo-Provera as a birth-control agent for years.