Women STILL struggling to get HRT as shortages return – the 3 products affected and what to take instead
BETWEEN battling through brain fog, fighting off hot flushes and being drenched in night sweats, you’d think women going though the menopause had enough on their plate.
But fresh shortages have hit yet more hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products, adding pain to injury to sufferers who use them to alleviate their often debilitating symptoms.
The Government has confirmed a national shortage of Estradot 100micrograms/24hours patches, issuing what is known as a Serious Shortage Protocol (SSP).
Effective as of yesterday August 21, the rationing order is expected to remain in place until September 8 – though the Department of Health and Social Care could choose to extend it if poor supply persists.
Other strengths of Estradot patches, however, are not affected by supply disruptions, according to Community Pharmacy England.
It’s not the only HRT product that’s currently a headache to come by.
The are SSPs in place for two more treatments: one is for Utrogestan 100mg capsules (testosterone) – a type of progesterone that the majority of women on HRT take alongside oestrogen – which is expected to be in place until September 1.
The other applies to Progynova TS 100mcg patches, in place until September 8.
What products can I take instead?
Pharmacists can provide alternatives to the HRT products that are currently difficult to come by.
For example, if you’ve been prescribed Estradot 100mcg patches, pharmacists can supply you with the same amount of Evorel 100mcg patches or Estraderm MX 100mcg patches.
The same goes for the other two HRT products currently in short supply.
If you have a Progynova TS 100mcg patch prescription, you can pick up a pack of FemSeven 100mcg patches from your pharmacy.
As for Utrogestan 100mg capsules, you can still get hold of those but pharmacists will supply you with no more than two months worth of them at a time, in order help mitigate ongoing supply disruptions to the product.
This will be the case until September 1, unless the government chooses to further extend the SSP.
HRT shortages are not a new issue, with the government issuing up to 12 rationing orders for products in July 2022.
Earlier this year, it emerged that women suffering with debilitating menopause symptoms had had to visit dozens of pharmacies at a time to obtain treatment, and even resorted to sharing medicines with people abroad.
And in 2022, women were even forced to buy HRT on the black market as UK-wide shortages hit.
Some products have been in and out of stock since 2018 due to problems in the supply chain and manufacturing, heightened by the pandemic and increased demand.
Around two million women use HRT to help alleviate symptoms associated with the menopause, including hot flushes, fatigue, anxiety and brain fog.
It was announced in January that people experiencing menopausal symptoms could benefit from an HRT pre-payment certificate in order to save money on treatment.
From April, women could pay a single prescription charge of £18.70 per year for a 12-month supply of HRT.