Serious Shortage Protocols for Hormone Replacement Therapy medicines, issued by The Department of Health and Social Care.
Many women are facing difficulties in having their HRT prescriptions filed due to the short supply of these medicines. The serious shortage protocols put in place now see a 3-month supply restriction on prescriptions for Oestrogel, Ovestin cream and Premique Low Dose due them being the three most in-demand products. HRT product prices have soared and are being sold at four times the price for an NHS prescription supply, leaving may woman feeling worried about being able to afford treatment privately.
Why is there such a shortage of HRT medicines all of a sudden? Prescribing for HRT has more than doubled since 2017. Furthermore, it’s a condition which has more awareness and openness to talk about, allowing woman the confidence to speak up and seek treatment from their doctor. Many celebrities have spoken about their menopausal issues which raises more awareness and acceptance of seeking treatment. Manufacturers simply haven’t been able to keep up with supplying in demand.
Despite the protocols in place, many patients are still finding it difficult to access their medicines. This puts pressure on the prescribers and pharmacy teams as they are left to make decisions on finding alternatives. With over 30 different HRT products it isn’t a clear switch from one HRT product to another so there has to be care taken when choosing alternatives for patients. This however doesn’t resolve the root cause of the supply issue. Manufacturers need to improve their supply chain and meet the demands. The government also need to identify supply issues much earlier on and find solutions with new manufacturers quickly and work closely with them to ensure the supply chain is rectified. In the meantime, prescribers and pharmacists will need to check the shortage protocols regularly in order to keep up with the updates for stock.
See the full serious shortage protocol here