UK faces new shortages of some HRT products

Summarised from The Guardian's report · Updated 15 Oct, 21:03 · Archive

Some hormone replacement therapy products are out of stock in the UK, with supplies not expected to resume until late November or January.

Women in the UK are facing shortages of some hormone replacement therapy products, with supplies expected to remain unavailable for weeks. According to a medicine supply notification from the Department of Health and Social Care, FemSeven Conti patches are out of stock and expected to remain so until late November. Various Estradot patches, which contain estradiol, are also affected, with supplies not expected to resume until January. These shortages began in December 2024.

Hormone replacement therapy is widely used to help manage menopause symptoms and can be delivered through various methods including gels, sprays, patches, pills and creams. According to the NHS Business Services Authority, almost 2 million women in England aged 40 and above were prescribed HRT in 2025-26. Experts advise that women seek alternatives delivering the same dose of oestrogen by the same method. A pharmacist noted that being told a treatment that helps with sleep and hot flushes is unavailable can be unsettling.

Read the report

• UK HRT shortages: which products are affected and what to do about it?Experts say seeking alternatives that deliver the same dose of oestrogen by the same method is key Women in the UK are again facing shortages of some HRT products, with warnings they could persist for weeks. We take a look at the situation. Continue reading...The Guardian · 15 Oct, 18:58

In this story: UK · Department of Health and Social Care · NHS Business Services Authority

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