to wish HRT was available in large quantities?

[DominiqueBernard]

A month always seems to pass so quickly and then back to the pharmacy again!

Once I asked the pharmacist for 3 months' worth of Oestrogel at once and they asked if I were going on holiday as typically they don't have enough in stock to give patients more than 1 month at a time.

I respect supply chains and all of the other valid reasons for giving 1 month at a time but still find it a bit of a pita to go to the pharmacy every 4 weeks.

(And that the Oestroegel bottle seems to go from pretty full to completely empty from one day to the next...)

Yanbu.

Why is your Dr not giving you a 3 month prescription at a time though?
I have patches and get a prescription every 12 weeks

I have oestrogen patches and progesterone tablets, and my prescription is for three months’ supply each time. I thought this was quite normal.

i get 3 months supply at a time as well. Ask your GP if they’ll do the same

The prescription is for a year, but the pharmacist says that they can give only one month's worth of Oestreogel at a time (I have tried quite a few pharmacies who all say the same.)

I only get one month, it’s massively inconvenient. Have tried complaining but they refuse to engage.

My GP prescribed me a year's worth of patches (without me asking) and I picked the whole lot up in one go. I work full time and do not have time to go back and forth with appointments

I get the gel 3 months at a time .

I get a 3 month prescription from Gp.

I agree that this can and should be resolved, but just one thing …
I work in a pharmacy - this is not down to the pharmacy whatsoever, we don’t issue the prescriptions we merely assemble them and send out for deliveries/notify customers when it’s time for collection. Please contact your GP to discuss any changes to your prescription needs.

I really wish people didn’t blame the pharmacies - I’m on minimum wage, we work incredibly hard and get a world of abuse.
GPs have their reasons for making the scripts monthly but most are reasonable if you contact them to discuss your needs.
Don’t want to take up valuable NHS time with non emergency queries? Completely understand, I answer calls about this every day. But trust me it has nothing to do with your pharmacy.

Mine prescribe me 3 months worth of Elleste Duet.

It is a complete pain. I also have progesterone and oestrogen cream all due for collection at different times in the month so go in almost every week to collect something.

Mines on a 3 month supply and I only pay one prescription charge every 3 months. I now get them delivered by Lloyd's as our chemist is awful. I've also recently learnt there is a Pre pay certificate which discounts how much you pay.
The HRT PPC costs £19.30 for 12 months and can be used for all HRT prescriptions.

Golly I thought this was just me!!

I get prescribed 6 months worth of patches at a time

I get 6 months HRT at a time. If the medication is on the Serious Shortage Protocol (SSP) list when it comes to picking up the new prescription, I'll only get 3 months.
1 month at a time for HRT is abit unecessary.

Lloydsdirect.co.uk. Deliver straight to you for free. It's brilliant.

Monthly here too. Which is a reminder that women are a slave to the moon.

Hadn't considered it apart from the immense nuisance of monthly trips to the chemist because I have the menopause certificate so I don't pay.

If the Oestrogel only lasts 28 days….some months are longer - 30 days….so you can ask for your prescription sooner.

(It’s effectively 13 units needed per year).

Also you “might sometimes” need 3 pumps of gel per day to control your symptoms…..so you would need to use more than one unit per month…

And you could be going on holiday “quite often”…

I agree, it’s stressful knowing that 2 weeks into a prescription that you will run out again imminently….it’s adding yet more things that we have to unnecessarily use headspace for.

HRT I get three months at a time but I'm on several other lifelong meds and they'll only give me 28 days at a time, NHS policy apparently but my god is it hassle, and must create more work and admin for the staff too.

My GP will only do 2 months of Oestrogel at a time, but the pharmacy is fine giving me the 2 months. (central London).

Getting to the pharmacy when they're open (I work long hours) every 2 months is another issue but.....

YANBU

I only get one month's supply of the gel at a time, but they absolutely load up the progesterone tablets. It's bonkers

I have the certificate. It always amuses me watching the young, bashful pharmacist trying to discreetly ascertain if I have it (there's always a massive queue).

It has been a bit of a lifesaver to be honest

This is it, precisely. The mental load.

The OP has already said that the GP gave a prescription for 1 year

It's the pharmacy which is only giving out 1 month supply each time

The GP has done what they can to make it easier for the patient to not have to go back and forth to the pharmacy

I assumed it was to do with supply issues, my pharmacy only gives one month of utogesterone but will give me 3 months of oestrogel, and roughly 3 months of testogel! I've been meaning to ask why..

@DominiqueBernard you need to look at your prescription. Presumably it’s a 12 month script to be dispensed 4 weekly. What a waste of time and money for both you and the pharmacy.

Next time ask for 12 week script (this is totally normal) put on repeat. It does mean you have the faff of requesting it every 12 weeks and wondering whether it’s actually reached the pharmacy etc.
Alternative is to ask for a 12 month script to be dispensed 12 weekly