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Original poster

Oestrogel shortage?

96 replies

Hop243 · 10/01/2022 13:52

Hello, first post from a long time lurker! I got a prescription for oestrogel and utrogestan from my GP but the local pharmacy are saying there is a national shortage of oestrogel. This is my first attempt at HRT so wasn't expecting that! Has anybody else been affected, I am in the south east area.

OP posts:
Underthesea · 14/04/2022 23:01

I have to say that I think this is wrong that Boots is allowing you to have 9 bottles when some of us can't get any. Boots should have more common sense than this

You are possibly right. However I assume the fact they could get them for me suggests that supplies are improving. That was why I posted this. I'm sorry that some people are struggling, I know how frustrating it is.

PlainJaneEyre · 14/04/2022 23:48

You are also very lucky that your GP will write you such a prescription - we are only allowed one at a time in my practice.

JinglingHellsBells · 15/04/2022 06:59

@PlainJaneEyre

You are also very lucky that your GP will write you such a prescription - we are only allowed one at a time in my practice.
why on earth is that? Does the practice get paid for each prescription it issues?
Underthesea · 15/04/2022 08:21

This was the case with me until this month. I was finding paying for 2 prescriptions a month crippling . Plus the inconvenience of having to get to the surgery around my working hours and while they were open. I would then often arrive to find the surgery pharmacy hadn't been able to get one of the items and I had to discuss this in the street (we are not allowed in and have to speak through a door) in front of a queue other people often that I knew. It is really embarrassing. Then I had to phone around other pharmacies to find someone who could help. I complained to my gp as the time, money and energy this was taking up on top of a very stressful job was ridiculous. He relented and let me have a 6 month supply. I'm sorry if others are having these problems too, but I'm am so relieved.

JinglingHellsBells · 15/04/2022 08:36

Surely there must be a financial incentive for GPs to do this one month only thing?
It's totally ridiculous.

I know people it happens to on other meds- not hrt- and yet they have had the ok from consultants to carry on with their meds long term, with only an annual review (legally required for meds.)

I'd love to know why as it's more work for GPs and they are always complaining about their workload!

Why?

And don't pharmacies get paid for each script they fulfil? Is all of this some kind of financial set-up benefiting GPs and pharmacies? Because medically it makes no sense.

PlainJaneEyre · 15/04/2022 08:58

@JinglingHellsBells seemingly our practice does. All meds are issued on a monthly basis only and on repeat. We cannot even get HRT on repeat - we have to hand request it each month.

PlainJaneEyre · 15/04/2022 09:07

@Underthesea

This was the case with me until this month. I was finding paying for 2 prescriptions a month crippling . Plus the inconvenience of having to get to the surgery around my working hours and while they were open. I would then often arrive to find the surgery pharmacy hadn't been able to get one of the items and I had to discuss this in the street (we are not allowed in and have to speak through a door) in front of a queue other people often that I knew. It is really embarrassing. Then I had to phone around other pharmacies to find someone who could help. I complained to my gp as the time, money and energy this was taking up on top of a very stressful job was ridiculous. He relented and let me have a 6 month supply. I'm sorry if others are having these problems too, but I'm am so relieved.
I am in a similar position - only issued once a month and you have to hand write a request for it ! Not allowed to ask for it on repeat and not allowed to use the online system. It seems like punishment for being on it.
ImAvingOops · 15/04/2022 09:17

She me surgeries are so bad. I'd consider changing doctors if I had to go back every month for repeat prescriptions. Mine gives 3 months at a time and doesn't argue with women who have experienced symptoms and want to go on HRT in the first place. So many surgeries seem to treat women like children, who don't know what we need!

Beeniemum · 15/04/2022 09:33

@JinglingHellsBells

Surely there must be a financial incentive for GPs to do this one month only thing? It's totally ridiculous.

I know people it happens to on other meds- not hrt- and yet they have had the ok from consultants to carry on with their meds long term, with only an annual review (legally required for meds.)

I'd love to know why as it's more work for GPs and they are always complaining about their workload!

Why?

And don't pharmacies get paid for each script they fulfil? Is all of this some kind of financial set-up benefiting GPs and pharmacies? Because medically it makes no sense.

Hi, as a prescription clerk working in a GP surgery, I find it a little bizarre that you are only allowed one month at a time. I know that pharmacies get paid for every prescription so yes, very beneficial for them, but surgeries certainly don't get paid, quite the opposite in fact. They have a prescribing budget and try very hard to not go over. Our patients on HRT get at least two months supply at a time, many, three or six months even and are reviewed every six months. Maybe you should consider changing your surgery.
PlainJaneEyre · 15/04/2022 09:37

@Beeniemum the pharmacy is in the practice and is not a Lloyds or anything - can it be "owned" by the practice?

JinglingHellsBells · 15/04/2022 09:50

[quote PlainJaneEyre]@Beeniemum the pharmacy is in the practice and is not a Lloyds or anything - can it be "owned" by the practice?[/quote]
Community pharmacies within a practice are usually owned by someone but not usually the practice. someone I know worked in one which was eventually taken over by one of the big chains.

Beeniemum · 15/04/2022 09:58

[quote PlainJaneEyre]@Beeniemum the pharmacy is in the practice and is not a Lloyds or anything - can it be "owned" by the practice?[/quote]
Not that I'm aware of. The surgeries I know with in- house pharmacies are independently owned... it's more for convenience and works well.
The pharmacy industry is very lucrative (and open to fraudulent practice but that's another topic).

MVision · 22/04/2022 04:54

Those of you that get 6 months at once - do you just pay for one subscription? I also only get one months supply at a time.

PlainJaneEyre · 22/04/2022 13:41

I have reported my surgery for its practice of " having to request in writing each month " as it is against recommended practice and discriminatory to women. You can bet your last penny if I were a transman in there they would be falling over themselves to provide the necessary .

WombatChocolate · 22/04/2022 13:49

PlainJane, you asked why someone had a prescription for 9 bottles of oestrogel. A key reason is that some people have 6 month prescriptions. Anyone using 3 or 4 pumps a day will need 8-9 bottles to cover 6 months.

I just posted another thread about how today I asked for my prescription to be updated to cover 6 mo this and it was agreed. My prescription is now for 8 bottles.

I found 1 pharmacy who could give me 4, which pleased me enormously, given the situation. They owe me 4. Of course, if my prescription was only for 1, that’s what I’d have been given and 3 would have been left for others.

The situation isn’t right. I got 8 bottles for my prescription charge of £9.35, but someone else might have to ask monthly and get 8 bottles for 8x£9.35 even if we use the gel in exactly the same way.

The guidelines now suggest it should be prescribed for 6 mo this abfter the initial review. It’s worth people pointing that out. Writing to the GP and Practice manage is more likely to deliver results than simply asking a receptionist or nurse for longer prescriptions. Point out the price implications of monthly 2x prescriptions. Focus on that rather than the inconvenience. I’d say I can’t afford it but don’t qualify for free prescriptions.

Abra1d1 · 22/04/2022 13:51

I picked up three bottles from my local Boots yesterday, within three days of requesting a repeat prescription. I must have looked dumbfounded as I checked it was really them and not something else. The pharmacy assistant grinned at me and said they'd had a big delivery of Oestrogel over the weekend and 'a lot of ladies have been made very, very happy!'

PlainJaneEyre · 22/04/2022 13:55

@WombatChocolate thank you - yes I have had various conversations with the Head Pharmacist and Practice Manager . I have detailed all of this in writing on several occasions - 3 emails alone last week. There is never any intention by them to look at this or to try to improve the situation. It is as it is in their eyes. The current low stocks of oestrogel are also helping them to mask their policy . This policy was introduced in Jan 2022 - what steps have they taken to monitor my usage of it since then ? Sweet FA. I haven't finished with them yet .

WombatChocolate · 22/04/2022 14:31

PlainJane. Good luck. I hope you have success with this. It is a crazy situation. And given anxiety is a key symptom of menopause, these prescribing policies are adding to anxiety.

In my thread I stated today, I detailed the steps I had to take to get oestrogel into my hands today. It required a careful plan of action and research that took over 2 hours of my time and being pretty sharp-elbowed. It’s not right. You are willing to write and email and kick up a fuss. I was willing to take the steps I did and 2 hours of time. What about the women who have no idea about how to complain or even realise that they should be able to have HRT, or they shouldn’t need to go to the surgery and pay 2 prescription charges every bloody month, or who keep finding they have prescriptions their pharmacist can’t fill? How many women are actually now not taking their HRT because they can’t afford to get it or actually getting it is so difficult that they have just given up. It’s a disgrace. The oestrogel supply shortage (and it is a shortage, because in relation to Demand there isn’t enough) is one thing, but the GP crappy prescribing which haves people going every month to get prescriptions and paying for 2 per month for something that can be prescribed 6 monthly is an outrage in my view.

Whitacre · 22/04/2022 17:26

None at my local pharmacy here. Policy of all our local places is to hang on to the prescription so it’s difficult to take it elsewhere, even if I had the time.

Not sure whether to hang on and hope they get some soon (they will text when it’s in) or ask for something else. I’m allergic to the patches so it would have to be a different type of gel (probably also out of stock I guess) or tablets.

Are the tablets in short supply as well, does anyone know?

BigWoollyJumpers · 22/04/2022 17:39

Had a rant at my GP today - they also only give 2 months at a time as a policy. Don't forget GP's are a business, and each one will vary in what they cover. I did however get two bottles today, so I suppose I can't complain.

I DID read however, that the Dept of Health are going to introduce an annual fee for HRT following a campaign by the menopause society - hooray for them. I was going to get an annual pass thing, but will now wait it out for this. It is supposed to happen this year.

BigWoollyJumpers · 22/04/2022 17:43

@WombatChocolate You mention guidelines suggest 6 month supply - I couldn't find anything on-line. Can you send me a link - I would like to send it to my GP surgery. Thanks.

WombatChocolate · 23/04/2022 16:51

BigWoolyJumpers

I am now struggling to find where I read the reference to 6 months, but this link pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/prepayment-scheme-for-hrt-to-start-in-april-2023
refers to NICE guidelines allowing GPS to prescribe a full year in one go - so for 2 prescription charges if oestrogen and progesterone are prescribed separately. The article points out that this is what the new law will mean in terms of cost (a 2x prescription charge for as much HRT as needed over 12 months…but across however many prescriptions the GP says that requires)

When I had my first menopause appt with GP it was actually mentioned that they could prescribe for 12 months after the initial 3 months. However, I’ve just been given 6 months and I’m happy with that.

I will have another look for the guidance or advice to GPs. I have certainly seen recommendations several times suggesting that after the first 3 month trial longer prescriptions be given. However, I don’t think there is anything mandatory.

I would suggest writing to the practice manager and GP and laying out how much it is costing you per year to get prescriptions with the regularity they require you to ask. Also mention knowing women who get it for 6 months and identify the charge of 4x prescription charges per year for that. Ask them how they can justify that discrepancy and stress it is unaffordable.

MVision · 23/04/2022 18:09

This makes such a difference to what it costs. I currently have to request repeat prescriptions monthly and buy the 3 month exemption certificate which I think is about £30 every 3 months. So if I changed to 6 month prescriptions it would be 2 x £18 x 2 per year - £72 as opposed to £120 that I’m currently paying.

MVision · 23/04/2022 18:09

Sorry got that wrong it would be £36 as opposed to the £120 I’m paying

JinglingHellsBells · 23/04/2022 19:23

@WombatChocolate I am not sure about this 12 months thing. I think there is a difference between being able to pay once for 12 months' worth, and being prescribed 12 months on one prescription.

Legally, all prescribed meds need an annual review. So if someone was given 12 months and already had 2 months' left, they could in theory go for 14 months without a review.

I've been on HRT for a long time and usually keep my supply at around 4- 6 months' worth. I pay for it as it's a private prescription. It costs me about £15 a month for 2 items.

I understood that (maybe before this change?) that drs could prescribe 6 months at once?