Women are facing a shortage of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as the demand for such treatments increases.
What is hormone replacement therapy?
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a treatment to relieve symptoms by replacing the hormones that are at their lowest levels as women approach menopause.
Hormone replacement therapy can help relieve many of the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness and decreased sex drive.
What is the current offer status?
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) said HRT prescriptions in the UK have more than doubled in the past five years, from 238,000 in January 2017 to nearly 538,000 in December 2021.
The Ministry of Health (DH) said demand for HRT has increased dramatically, with prescriptions increasing 38% over the past seven years.
Why has demand increased?
DH said there is greater awareness of menopause and greater confidence among primary care physicians in prescribing HRT.
What is the ripple effect of this high demand?
It has been reported that acute deficiencies cause women to share prescriptions, and some become suicidal due to the debilitating menopausal symptoms they experience without medication.
DH said that while most of the 70 HST products available in the UK are still widely available, a number of factors, including increased demand, have led to shortages of a limited number of products, including Estrogel.
What is the government doing about it?
In late April, the government announced the appointment of Madelaine McTernan, executive director of the Vaccine Task Force, to head a new HRT Procurement Task Force.
DH said her role includes identifying ways to support the hormone replacement therapy supply chain and addressing shortcomings that some women face in a limited number of products.
Health Minister Sajid Javid said Ms McTernan “will use her extraordinary skills and expertise to leverage the success of the vaccine task force to strengthen the supply of essential medicines to women across the country”.
DH also said it has issued severe deficiency protocols (SSPs) to limit the release of the three products needed to ensure women have access to the hormone replacement therapy they need.
These are the Oestrogel pump pack 750 mcg/activating gel, Ovestin 1 mg cream and Premique low dose 0.3 mg/1.5 mg modified release tablets.
The SSPs expire on July 29 and are intended to allow community pharmacists to provide the three specified HRT products without the prescriber’s approval by protocol rather than by written prescription.
DH said this will “consolidate” the distribution of highly sought after products like Estrogel.
What is the HRT task force responsible for?
The government said the task force will work with HRT suppliers to better understand supply constraints and what can or can be done to address them in the short and long term.
It will also work with the NHS Commercial Services Authority to provide real-time access to HRT broadcast data to better understand supply and demand and what is causing the shortage.
The task force should also work with professional organizations, including the Royal College of Family Physicians, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Pharmaceutical Services Consultative Committee, to support pharmacists and prescribers to ensure they respond appropriately to increasing demand.
What about prescription costs?
DH said it is taking steps to increase access to and reduce the cost of HRT by allowing women a one-time reimbursement for all hormone replacement therapy prescriptions for one year, the equivalent of the cost of two one-time prescriptions, currently £18.70.
Known as a prepayment certificate, this means women have monthly access to HRT, easing the pressure on supply and keeping the cost of HRT low. This system will be introduced from April 2023.
Is it fast enough?
Not according to RPS, who described the timeline as “disappointing”.
Thorrun Govind, head of RPS in the UK, said: “Delaying this step will disappoint many who are already paying for monthly HRT prescriptions and will exacerbate the health disparities that women across the country already experience.”
He said HRT prescriptions were “necessary” but also “a financial burden during the cost of living crisis” as he called for the complete elimination of prescription costs for this type of treatment in the UK.
Source: Daily Mail

I am Anne Johnson and I work as an author at the Fashion Vibes. My main area of expertise is beauty related news, but I also have experience in covering other types of stories like entertainment, lifestyle, and health topics. With my years of experience in writing for various publications, I have built strong relationships with many industry insiders. My passion for journalism has enabled me to stay on top of the latest trends and changes in the world of beauty.