Everything GP prescribes is unavailable!

[PermanentlyDizzy]

New to all this. First prescription , Estradiol, was sent to the pharmacy yesterday. Tried three pharmacies and was told it’s been unavailable locally for months and no sign of any coming in any time soon.

Went back to GP, explained and asked for an alternative prescription. They prescribed Oestrogel - same problem. Usual pharmacist went mad, said they are sick of this happening, GP’s should be aware of the issue and not trying to prescribe it. They said the GP needs to prescribe a completely different type of product, but couldn’t advise what or what is available.

Every time I contact the GP I have to wait in a telephone queue for over an hour (often longer as I keep getting cut off just as I get to “you are number one in the queue”) and then I only get to speak to their care navigators. If I want a routine appointment I have to wait another month and they have disabled all messaging options on the apps. It’s impossible.

So, before I try again, are there any products which are still available? I am assuming all gels are out, what about sprays or patches.

I was originally prescribed gel plus micronised progesterone and can only have transdermal/topical due to other health issues, if that helps at all?

I've just got Sandrena (gel) as a substitute for Estrogel. But of course if all the women who were taking Estrogel end up on Sandrena that will potentially reduce demand there. If you ask the pharmacist if they have Sandrena in stock they should be able to give you an answer? I'm hoping they're communicating what is in stock better to GPs than they do to patients, otherwise how do they expect GPs to know!

Sorry, I meant "increase demand and reduce availability of Sandrena"

Thank you. It was actually my dad who was speaking to the pharmacist, poor fella!

Apparently they refused to say what they actually have in stock and just said I have to go back to the GP again and tell them to prescribe an alternative. How can they do that if they don’t know what’s available though? It’s ridiculous.

I have tried sending a message via the general medications request form on the patient app, although it doesn’t actually fit in any of the categories properly, so they may well reject it. I was hoping, doing it this way, the GP might actually read what the problem is and find out what to prescribe, rather than just picking the next brand on the list.

Pharmacies are often small private businesses (excluding places like Boots) and they have their choice of wholesalers. I don't know for sure, but I wonder if some are staying loyal to one wholesaler and not trying others? I think Besins say there are 3 main wholesalers who supply pharmacies. The fact is it IS available but on a limited basis it seems, but each pharmacy ought to be able to get some.

I think you might need to shout louder.

Can you phone them yourself? Why is being done by your father?

There is a supply issue with oestrogen gels.it has been in part caused by the popularity of the gel and by the fact that a year's supply can be prescribed in one go now which cuts costs for women.Ring round all your local chemists to find out whether they have any and then ask for a prescription that suits.If no gel is available you can have patches for oestrogen,but , again, speak to the pharmacist first to clarify what they have in stock.

@yikesanotherbooboo I'm not sure if it's possible to get a year's supply at once. The new payment for HRT is not due to come in till 2023 I read. And even when it does, it's about payment, not prescribing. So women will pay once, but that isn't necessarily the same as getting 12 bottles at once. As far as I know :)

This is a nightmare for surgeries too as the pharmacies keep sending back our prescriptions without suggesting an alternative. It's impossible for the GPs to stay on top of what's in stock and what's not as it changes a lot but yes sandrena is currently available as a gel option.

I use the lenzetto spray & that’s been ok to get so far 😊

This was discussed on the TV earlier today. Because there has been a big campaign about the menopause, the demand has shot up which is a good thing. But apparently its temporary and the manufacturers are putting things in place to sort this issue. Sorry guys isn't helpful but at least its a very temporary issue.

This annoys me with pharmacies. They tell patients there is a manufacturing delay on some item but they don't advise the patient of the alternative and whether they have it in stock. GPs are not aware what is on delay but pharmacies will.

@JinglingHellsBells

Pharmacies are often small private businesses (excluding places like Boots) and they have their choice of wholesalers. I don't know for sure, but I wonder if some are staying loyal to one wholesaler and not trying others? I think Besins say there are 3 main wholesalers who supply pharmacies. The fact is it IS available but on a limited basis it seems, but each pharmacy ought to be able to get some.

I think you might need to shout louder.

Can you phone them yourself? Why is being done by your father?

To be honest, it’s a bit irrelevant why my dad is helping me. It’s actually partly because he goes to the pharmacy regularly for my mum’s meds anyway and also because I can’t drive or even really get out at the moment due to health issues, so he offered to help. He’s really savvy and the type of person that usually shops around extensively for anything he wants, so he’s happy to do the rounds of local pharmacies for me. I didn’t ask, he offered to pick up the original prescription as he was going anyway and then took up the task of trying to track some down himself, before he told me he couldn’t get hold of any. He then went back for the new prescription this morning, only to go through the same palaver as yesterday.

We only have one independent pharmacy in the whole area. Dad went to them after our usual pharmacy (which was recently bought out by a group) and they say they haven’t been able to get any for months and have no idea when it might be back in stock. According to my local pharmacist, none of the pharmacies around here have had any since before Christmas and there is no indication of when it might be back in stock.

I went through something similar with the main medication for my long term health condition. None of the chain pharmacies would even attempt to get it for me, but my local one went above and beyond to supply it. Unfortunately, they have now been bought out. Which is a shame, as both Dad and I have a good relationship with them.

Thanks @JinglingHellsBells that was me passing on info I had been told without checking!

I was only making a suggestion @PermanentlyDizzy as I thought if you were asking yourself, the pharmacist may have been more helpful, to suggest alternatives, more so than they would with an elderly man (sexist, I know!) They may have said they could suggest alternatives and to ask your GP to change your prescription.

I hope you get sorted soon. It's really frustrating. I , like many others here, hope it will be sorted soon. Over the years there has been a shortage of gel a few times and it's resolved fairly fast, within a month or so. (I'm just reducing my dose in the hope I won't run out before stocks are back to normal.)

If you can pay I still managed to get some oestrogel via a private prescription this week.

@UnaOfStormhold

I've just got Sandrena (gel) as a substitute for Estrogel. But of course if all the women who were taking Estrogel end up on Sandrena that will potentially reduce demand there. If you ask the pharmacist if they have Sandrena in stock they should be able to give you an answer? I'm hoping they're communicating what is in stock better to GPs than they do to patients, otherwise how do they expect GPs to know!

No Sandrena in my area and no idea when stock is expected, waiting for GP to get back to me for an alternative product

I got oestrogen from my local pharmacy no problem. Was prescribed 6 months supply last week and they owed me the last two bottles, which I collected today.
I used to work in a pharmacy and it is true they have different suppliers. If one place can’t get it, ask another pharmacy. It is worth shopping around. I am surprised that they won’t tell you what they have in stock though as we used to often do this: it helps everyone, the patient, GP and the pharmacy themselves.

@TheSpanishApartment

If you can pay I still managed to get some oestrogel via a private prescription this week.

Can you elaborate @TheSpanishApartment? Did you use an online pharmacy?

I have always paid for mine as it's a private prescription. Sometimes I pick it up at the (private) hospital pharmacy where the consultant works, or a nearby independent pharmacy.

Any more info would be helpful. I have about 6 weeks' left and I'm wondering if the shortage will be over by then or if I need to ask my consultant for a prescription for something else, as well as the usual gel, in case I can't track any down.

@JinglingHellsBells - yes, I used Cloudrx. Specifically I used the newson clinic who sent the prescription to Cloudrx.

[quote TheSpanishApartment]@JinglingHellsBells - yes, I used Cloudrx. Specifically I used the newson clinic who sent the prescription to Cloudrx.[/quote]
Okay thanks for the info. I'm going to try 'real' pharmacies first in the hope they have some !

It's really difficult.
GP surgeries aren't told what the stock issues are. Pharmacies tend to know but it changes really often. Also some pharmacies say there's a manufacturing issue when actually it's their supplier and other pharmacies can source things.
I'm hearing that lenzetto is out of stock in many areas as well as after the ostrogel pumps. Sandrena seems a bit better.
Two years ago we couldn't get any hrt tablets or patches at all (back when they were popular).
Since Brexit there have been loads of issues with all sorts of drugs - it's always been a problem from time to time but now it's constant.

There was an issue with Oestrogel some years ago and it was due to a manufacturing issue with the packaging - sometimes the manufacturers are unable to get parts from other suppliers.

Now, the issue is demand. (Blame Davina :))

It's quite a big 'ask' for a pharma manufacturing company to increase production to meet demand. It means a whole lot of extra stuff, maybe even investing in additional manufacturing equipment, quality assurance of the raw materials and the role of quality control specialists who sign off the final product.

Ironically when I first used gel I often had to wait for my order to arrive, as so few women used it and it was never in stock!
Now, it's the opposite problem.

Can you imagine them running out of supplies of Viagra...

All these women, needing some help for menopause, they can wait because, we'll not important 🤔🙄🙄

Stick a letter through surgery door or ask to speak to surgery pharmacist to get it sorted. Its much quicker.

We had this with patches about a year ago after the first davina programme. It’s the ‘delia’ effect!

Lots of meno people have been talking to manufacturers to warn them that there will be surges of demand as the UK wakes up to the benefits.

GPs really should be more informed and know the issues around this - it’s quite a frequent issue

@Shehasadiamondinthesky has a good thought.Try your surgery pharmacist.GPs cannot possibly keep on top of all the hiccups in the supply chain.Yes, major issues particularly long term ones but the oestrogen issue is fluctuant at the moment, one week estrogel is unavailable and scripts are being changed to sandrena and the following week it is the other way round.Some pharmacists can source it and some can't.