No availability of HRT patches

[Egghead68]

Hi - my foray into HRT will be short-lived, it seems (3 weeks in total) due to lack of availability of HRT treatments in my area.

I was on Evorel Conti, which can't be obtained now (I had 6 patches which my pharmacist said were the last ones). I have asked my GP if they will prescribe an alternative but they have not got back to me and my patch runs out on Tuesday. In any case, it seems there are low/no stocks of most/all forms here due to people having to switch.

Anyone else had this problem and got any suggestions?

Thank you in advance!

I have just managed to order 24 Evorel patches from the independent Pharmacy they have had new stock of quite a few things but are running out quickly the only down side is they cost £45 but I was getting desperate as no availability locally and no way am I having flushes and night sweats again.

I’m not long in from my village pharmacy clutching 3 months of Evorel Sequi that the pharmacist had no trouble getting. I’m totally amazed.

My friend in Spain can only get ' Estalis' but it has the wrong proportions and needs refridgerating!

So we wont be getting that

Oh maybe It's a regional thing, I'm in a large town in the East Mids and none at Lloyd's boots or Superdrug, blurb from Janssen says they expect to run out completely by September so I suppose it depends on wholesaler stock in your area, glad you managed to get yours

I was on estrodot but last month these were impossible so GP prescribed which seem to be available . BUT she has now upped me to 50mg from 25 mg and my tinnitus has got really bad , hadn’t connected the two until today when browsing menopause matters and saw that HRT can affect Tinnitus. Not sure whether to see if it settles or go back to 25mg again.

I also don’t like the everol patches, they are much bigger, seem to fall off easily and leave a red itchy mark on my skin 🙁

Sorry GP prescribed Everol rather than estrodot

It's a home office restriction on ordering. There isn't a shortage. It's a government created issue. This is a copy paste from an emailed I received from a private hospital in Kent this morning: KIMS pharmacy were ordering direct and getting supplies. However a Home Office regulation has now been implemented as of Monday which is restricting KIMS to the absolute bare minimum. KIMS pharmacy are in direct contact with Novartis and do already have an account. Unfortunately there does seem to be a lot of different version of what is happing going around !!

I will forward your email to pharmacy.

Kind regards

So Government stockpiling is causing the shortage?

Thought as much.

I saw that FDA publish a regular list of drugs that are in short supply in USA.

Estradiol is currently in it. This doesn't seem to be just a British/European issue. I do!mt think all types of HRT contain it, which might be why some seem unaffected whilst others have run out.

Repeat prescription fail. Despite asking for it to be printed, the GP sent it electronically to the village pharmacy, who were out of stock (Brexit apparently, despite the fact we're still in the EU currently). GP reissued with a tablet I'd never heard of. I don't want to change the type of HRT, I've got 4 weeks to shop around so had to ask for them to reissue the prescription for me to collect tomorrow.

Private pharmacies are pricey but it's tempting just so i know i have some.

They are giving me a paper prescription "so I can find some"

Fat Chance!

Receptionist is not happy

Our local pharmacist still reckons he can order Everol directly from the company. But it takes a while apparently. I need some in a month so he said he would order in now for me to pick up in three weeks.
Meanwhile H in India has promised to look over there for some spare just in case.
Pharmacist also had his own tin hat theory regarding this shortage.

You can't even obtain any privately. I've tried. I'm on a list now.
Asked friends in Denmark and Sweden whether they'd had shortages and all said no!

I'm considering a trip to my native Scandinavian country to stock up.

A lot of the patches have different names in Europe as they're no longer licenced but generic.

In Denmark and Sweden, Estradot is known as Vivielle Dot and made by Sandoz as the Norvartis licence expired long ago there. But identical. I also believe it's known as Vivielle in the US.

If anyone know what they're known as elsewhere like Holland or Spain, please post. I'm considering a European weekend break

Is it legal to fly to the EU before 31/10 and bring as much HRT back as you like? Does anyone know?

Boris is going to have blood on his hands if he doesn't get this sorted fast

Menopausal women are not to be messed with

Autumncrow. If it's for your own personal use and you have a prescription from a doctor in the country you obtained it from then yes.
And this will still be legal after 31/10.

But what if you buy it over the counter? In Spain for example?

Can I ask about this 'having a prescription' business, please?

Does that mean evidence that I am currently on a repeat prescription from my GP (e.g. the counterfoil of a 'cashed in' prescription, or a printout from my online GP surgery summary of regular medication)?

Or does that mean that I have to physically have an 'uncashed' (unfilled) prescription in my hand?

(I'm going to be on HRT for years, realistically, post-surgery; but my GP will only prescribe 12 weeks at a time max.)

They are about £60 in Sweden but I can't work out if I need a prescription
I already order stuff from Germany but I was sent a link - I don't know enough German to navigate the. Site
Flying to Spain seems a cheap option - but what is the situation in France - I think the ferry is a bit greener than flying

Try the White Pharmacy online, Katy. They have Evorel Conti in stock as of this morning.

Can't see how much exactly, but I paid £37.95 for 3 months (well, 12 weeks) of Evorel patches.

The suppliers appear to be rationing them. My local pharmacy was able to get one box of Evorel Sequi, and said they would try & get more before they are used up - I usually get 3 boxes (12 weeks) in a single prescription.

I bought some online as well, which seem to have come from Poland (I think) from the language on the packets.

@autumnCrow there isn't a price next to them so I guess they sold out

Superdrug are out of stock too

FFS I have less than a month - the GP gives me no indication I will get more - they say come in 2 weeks and we will give you tablets

These are the tablets they really didn't want to prescribe me 8 months ago as my liver is a bit suspect atm

I am filled with confidence

There is going to be a black market in HRT with people swopping brands/dosages whcih will cause more problems

The independent pharmacy has Evorel Conti and sequi but no oestrogen only. I live in a large town and not one pharmacy has evorel, it's outrageous that it's not in the media! I dont for one minute believe it's a manufacturing issue as my friends in Poland and France have no shortage at all.