MNHQ here: have you found it difficult to get HRT recently?

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello

As lots of MNers have already been discussing, there seems to be a nationwide shortage of some forms of HRT. (The reasons for the shortage seem a little clouded in mystery, although there's a partial explainer here.)

We've noticed a few MNers talking about going abroad to obtain their usual brand of HRT, or considering buying online - which of course isn't something health professionals would generally recommend (and probably doesn't feel very good to the women doing it either).

It seems pretty scandalous to us that women are having to do this in order to be sure of supplies of essential medicines and we wanted to get a sense of how many of you are affected.

So if you've struggled to get supplies of your normal HRT, or have considered going abroad or buying online to secure your supplies, we'd be interested to hear from you - please post on this thread or if you'd rather keep it confidential feel free to PM us or email us on [email protected]

Thanks
MNHQ

Estraderm never stuck properly on me. Evorel on the other hand welds itself on...baby oil and cotton wool helps remove the adhesive marks!

I thought I’d update here In case anyone is still following, as I’ve recently heard that Evorel Conti is coming back in stock and being prescribed by some GPs. This is perhaps the knock on effect of exportation restrictions imposed by the government?

@allyballybee1968 I thought I’d link you in here as you posted on another thread about this, and being unable to tolerate the oral version you’ve been given. Perhaps go back to your GP and ask - and explain you cannot keep the oral HRT down. Better still, go have a chat with your local pharmacist first to find out the state of play of Evorel Conti in your area.

Should get Everol Conti in 4 to 5 days 🤞

my Boots has 8 packs of evorel conti on the shelves; annoyingly my prescription is still for estraderm which they cant get at all

I have an appointment with the womens health GP in about three weeks time to see if I can get changed to the gel, so in the meantime, my remianing patches are having to be eked out to three a fortnight rather than two a week, and I'm definitely noticing the difference

The doctor did say to get the pharmacist to phone if they were not able to get it and she would prescribe an alternative.

@MyVisionsComeFromSoup evorel conti is combined HRT so wouldn’t be a suitable alternative to Estraderm. I believe yours was the first of the estradiol patches to have supply problems. Alternatives would be Evorel, Estradot and also estradiol gel.

The British Menopause Society have produced a list this week of all HRT combinations and alternatives for GPs and Health Practitioners if anyone is interested:

thebms.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/HRT-alternatives-04.11.2019.pdf

I'm struggling to get any of the Evorel Sequi patches so thank you for the link, I shall be going back to the Dr this week to discuss. Such madness .. bet they'd never have issues supplying viagra!

No problems getting it. If there were I would actually travel abroad just to stock up. There’s no way I’m coming off

I’m owed some Evorel Conti from the pharmacy and when I went in today they said they had none and there would be no more until June 2020! Not sure what to do now - will run out in a couple of weeks.

@LunaFortuna See the link I posted above at No 2. You can take an alternative, as in the 2 components of your combo as separate items. I wonder why the pharmacy didn’t mention this, although they can’t just give it to you without a prescription

Perhaps go back to your GP and ask them. Take a screen shot of the BMS link just in case. You could also ask the pharmacy which of the suggested items they can get in stock. before seeing your GP.

I've have taken my prescription back to the GP I have printed out the advice of alternatives and checked what is in stock.. let's see what I get back from the doctor!

@LunaFortuna definitely go back to your gp and get prescribed an alternative. I too could not get evorel conti patches and was prescribed elleste duet tablets instead and I’m nearly a month in with no issues.

My local pharmacy rang me yesterday about a prescription for evorel 50 that I put in 4 months ago to say they have managed to get 1 box of patches and do I still want it, I'm now expecting a mad max thunder dome scenario of menopausal women when I go and pick it up🤣 wish me luck!

wonders where Rosie lives and whether I can get there first :)

Thanks everyone and that's a great link Over50andfab - have made a GP appointment so will have a look at alternatives.

Rosie good luck 💪😂

I actually wouldn’t mind if they can’t get any more Evorel 50 for me as I’d like to try Estradot instead, with it being smaller, and they always leave a mark which only baby oil will shift - finger nail only removal tends to leave a rash.

I've just bought 3 packs of Evorel Conti from an online pharmacist as I cannot find it anywhere in my area and I don't want to chop and change. £70 - but will keep me going til after Christmas. Makes me mad that you can get it for a price but NHS pharmacies can't apparently source it.

Looking at this released by Janssen on 30 Oct, Evorel Conti 24 pack is out of stock with 8 pack expected to be out 20 Nov. This is of course depending on where you live etc. It does say they expect there to be more stock by the 1st quarter next year.
www.janssen.com/uk/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt-shortages-uk

I guess Rosie is currently chasing after one of the last remaining Evorel 50 x8 boxes 🤔

I managed to pick up my evorel 50 unscathed, the pharmacist said that the wholesaler isn't expecting supplies to be back to normal until the end of 2020 but that private pharmacies are more likely to have better access to stock! Odd that if you can pay privately you will be able to get them.

I have just picked up my packs of Everol Conti .

Evorel

Evorel patches 25, only 4 patches out of 16 available this week and pharmacy say they don’t know when they will be getting more stock.

I have heard in the grapevine that Evorel HRT patches will be back in stock in February next year

but that private pharmacies are more likely to have better access to stock! Odd that if you can pay privately you will be able to get them.

@rosie39forever What exactly did the pharmacist mean by this? Pharmacies are owned by a couple of big companies- Lloyds and Walgreens- or pharmacists who have bought their own pharmacy.

Most pharmacies are private, even the ones attached to NHS surgeries (they are owned by private companies.) Exceptions might be pharmacy depts in NHS hospitals.

I get my HRT on a private prescription and pay the cost of the items myself (no more than an NHS prescription usually .)
I can take that prescription to any pharmacy on any High St or, my choice, the pharmacy at the private hospital where I see my dr.

I don't understand the info you were given as it makes no sense.
Maybe you can challenge it?

Was the pharmacist conflating / confusing a private prescription and a private (not a chain) pharmacy? Private pharmacies are ones where one nice pharmacist owns it (had a friend who was one) and they have more choice of wholesalers who supply them. But that's not the same as a private prescription and nothing to do with the cost to you if you have an NHS prescription.

I don't really care how pharmacies work, this is just my personal experience, none of the high street pharmacies I've tried to get my prescription from has been able to get them (although recently Lloyd's who had had my prescription for 4 months managed to get me one months worth) but if fork over £45 to an internet private pharmacy then I can have them delivered the next day.... This is just my experience with an NHS prescription.