6 months of progesterone but only 3 bottles of oestrogel??

[Bayleaf25]

Just picked up very first prescription but looking at it at home I’ve been given 6 months of progesterone pills but only 3 bottles of the gell. Reading the instructions it looks as if two pumps means a bottle lasts 4 weeks, so I’ve only got 3 months worth of the gell.

Has anyone else had this? Should I call the pharmacy or do you think there’s a reason why? Thanks

What gel do you have, oestrogel? A bottle will last way longer than four weeks if you use two pumps a day.

@LiveFromNewYork

What gel do you have, oestrogel? A bottle will last way longer than four weeks if you use two pumps a day.

Are you using it @LiveFromNewYork

The pump bottle has 64 'pumps'. Using 2 per day, that's 32 days. So just over 4 weeks.

@Bayleaf25
How much Utrogestan are you using per day/ week/ month?

If you are using 200 mgs (2 capsules) per day for 12 days that 24 and the box has 30 capsules. Using 1 capsule daily it will last for 30 days.

If you have 6 months, that's 6 boxes = 180 capsules.

Has the pharmacy said your prescription is 'unfulfilled'? There is a supply issue with gel.

Or did your GP give you this amount on the prescription? What did it have on it?

I agree with the maths but my bottles are definitely lasting longer than a month. I am going to start counting!

@JinglingHellsBells
Utrogesten - 100mg once daily (I’ve been given 6 boxes of 30).

Oestrogel - 3 bottles. 2 pumps a day. Instructions indicate 2 pumps a day will last 4 weeks.

The gp said she was prescribing 6 months worth but I didn’t read detail as I didn’t know at that point how long a bottle would last for. Chemist kept top bit of prescription so I’m not sure if gp or chemist at fault. Chemist didn’t indicate part filled.

I had the same, loads of tablets and 3 bottles of gel. I thought maybe it was because if I didn’t get on with the gel, it would be less wasteful to chuck it and try something else.

Also for me on 2 pumps, one bottle lasts a month.

I would ring your GP surgery or send an e-mail explaining. Sounds like the doctor has made a mistake in the quantity of gel required. Or just means you to keep asking for repeat prescriptions for the gel only.

Thanks all, think I’ll try to phone or email gp, sounds like the issue is there.

I get one month of utrogestan and three of oestrogel, do you want to do a deal?

It’s annoying when you pay for each prescription and often, twice, if you’re getting both products.

It seems very common.

I’m due a GP review soon and will be asking them to update my prescription so the 2 products last 3 or 6 months. I will ask them to confirm how many packs of Utrogestan and how many gel pumps appear on the prescription and if it’s not the right amount, I will be pointing it out and asking it to be corrected.

Without actually speaking to the prescribing GP it seems people get nowhere in sorting this. There are reports of people writing a note/email with their repeat prescription request and it’s ignored. There are reports of people seeing a nurse and asking it to be adjusted and it doesn’t happen. There are reports of ringing reception and they say it will be sorted but it isn’t. The same old incorrect quantities keep being prescribed and people often don’t know until they arrive at the pharmacy as prescriptions often go there electronically and directly.

It seems to me a GP appointment is almost always needed to sort this.

What a waste…given the cost to the NHS per appointment.

Regarding a couple of non HRT issues, I’ve been firstly given appointments with a nurse or pharmacist on the phone. Prescriptions are then incorrect or don’t appear. After a couple of follow ups with reception which do t yield the results, Ive needed up having to book another appointment with GP. If I’d spoken with GP to start with, it would have resulted in the necessary outcome…and saved the NHS the cost of the other appointments. It’s often a false economy.

So my approach now is to insist on a GP appointment and to ask for clarification of exactly what is being prescribed and in what quantities. If it’s not right, I can challenge it there and then and it can be rectified. Without this, I’ve been looking at weeks and weeks of going and froing.

@WombatChocolate have you looked into the pre payment prescription? If you’re only getting a couple of months at a time, which I think might be the case with the shortages at the moment, it’s definitely worth it.

Thanks.
Yes, I figure the prepayment is cheaper if you need about 11 prescription listings per year.

If you can get 3 monthly prescriptions it’s probably not worth it (8 listings) unless you need other items too. However, yes, if you can only get it monthly or every 2 months it will be a bit cheaper.

These unbalanced prescriptions people talk about mean they need to get new prescriptions more regularly than if the prescription was properly balanced with the 2 items. It’s not just inconvenient but an additional cost which is irritating to those who thought a pre-payment wouldn’t be worth it for them.

Perhaps pre-payment is a good idea in the first year of HRT when prescriptions might be shorter and products and dosages changing. At least then you can switch as much as needed without worrying about the cost.

Perhaps pre-payment is a good idea in the first year of HRT when prescriptions might be shorter and products and dosages changing. At least then you can switch as much as needed without worrying about the cost

This is why I got it. I only got one month of patches at first so I decided that if they were going to prescribe monthly it would be much cheaper. I’ve switched now but only had 2 bottles of gel at a time, so it’s working out ok now.

You are of course right that they shouldn’t be getting it wrong in the first place.

I’d they ever do move to annual prescriptions or the annual fee they talked about, then it won’t be worth it for me.

@Livelifeinthebuslane

I get one month of utrogestan and three of oestrogel, do you want to do a deal?

Yes please @Livelifeinthebuslane mine was exactly the other way round

So frustrating though. I questioned the woman on the phone - no idea - and the pharmacist, who said, "just try it, it'll be fine". Err, it doesn't add up?!

I've tried a few times to get more than one month of utrogestan but they ignore me. I think I'm going to be referred to the menopause clinic though so maybe I'll get it sorted out then. It's not the cost, it's the hassle of having to sort it out every month.

Pharmacy phoned me yesterday to say no estrogel available!
There is a shortage apparently I called round 3 other local pharmacies and none had any in! I’m dropping off today at an independent chemist who said he should get some in before I run out!

@FunnyInjury

Pharmacy phoned me yesterday to say no estrogel available! There is a shortage apparently I called round 3 other local pharmacies and none had any in! I’m dropping off today at an independent chemist who said he should get some in before I run out!

Same here. Picked up my prescription on Monday and there were only two bottles of Estrogel, which weren’t my usual brand, out of the three I normally get. Pharmacist said there is a shortage and they don’t know when they’ll get any more!