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?

Not all surgeries have pharmacies attached.

I have never known of a single one, other than where a friend of mine was the main pharmacist and it wasn't in this region of the UK.

I had a prescription 3 weeks ago and my usual pharmacist said that no one could get any (I’m West London). I saw @JinglingHellsBells posts that it is a warehouse problem, got my script back from that chemist (and actually received a rant about how I had no chance anywhere else), rang a different pharmacy and they had it. I got another bottle of oestrogel yesterday from this new pharmacy - no problems and yet I’d put money down that my original one still won’t try and get it a different way (guess where I’m going all the time in future). Pharmacists should be able to tell you what’s in stock. Incidentally I was panicked 3 weeks ago so emailed Besins customer services and they said that there are still supplies delivered to the UK weekly and just keep trying as it is around just going quicker than normal due to increased demand.

@Theeyeballsinthefuckingsky

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

Sadly not on list for all areas. My surgery can’t prescribe it yet.

Had massive issues here, NW area. I was ringing around for Oestrogel for weeks, my regular chemist held my prescription for 21 days trying daily to source some but no luck.
One chemist did suggest Sandrena gel sachets to me so I have got my GP to alter my script - guess what? Now Sandrena is in the same position, none available.
Yesterday I was doing my usual ring around when one chemist answered yes they had stock. I rushed there so crisis is averted for another month. I also need to have transdermal and the coil is not an option for me.
So, keep ringing round and hopefully stock levels will improve soon. Sorry nothing more practical to offer but I appreciate how frustrating this all is, particularly if you're reducing your daily dose to make it last!

@JinglingHellsBells ; usually pharmacies are attached in more rural areas .many practices do, however,have community pharmacists attached, with or without prescribing rights who support the GP team, reconciling prescriptions, advising patients etc. They can often dig down on issues such as this.

[quote yikesanotherbooboo]@JinglingHellsBells ; usually pharmacies are attached in more rural areas .many practices do, however,have community pharmacists attached, with or without prescribing rights who support the GP team, reconciling prescriptions, advising patients etc. They can often dig down on issues such as this. [/quote]
I know. I have a close friend who spent 40 years as a pharmacist :)

[quote yikesanotherbooboo]@JinglingHellsBells ; usually pharmacies are attached in more rural areas .many practices do, however,have community pharmacists attached, with or without prescribing rights who support the GP team, reconciling prescriptions, advising patients etc. They can often dig down on issues such as this. [/quote]
Yes, this is the case in our surgery. When my oestrogel was unavailable the very nice and highly qualified pharmacist from the surgery called me to discuss the options and offered to change me to Sandrena. It saved the GP some work, I hope!

Then the oestrogel turned up at Boots anyway... So I had to cancel the Sandrena.

I'm so fed up with this - no oestrogel anywhere -nearly in my last dregs and waiting for both GP pharmacy and cloudrx to issue me with a Sandrena gel as an alternative.

Going to have to halve my dose of oestrogel to eke it out a few days longer.

Why can a pharmacist not just themselves prescribe an alternative ? It's pretty much the same stuff?

Why do I have to ask them repeatedly whether it's in stock or coming soon, to be told yes ( ordered 15 days ago) then I suggest an alternative which then has to go to the GP crappy econsult system ( only available 8-12 weekdays) for onwards bouncing to GP pharmacist ( on Mondays)

I had to go private to get my prescription (estrogel and utrogestan as my gp wouldn't prescribe thr utrogestan). Got 4 bottles of estrogel from Pharmacierge no problem (£64!)

Sent the private prescription to my gp who has now prescribed the utrogestan but I have to have evorel 75 patches as no estrogel available. To be honest, I find the gel quite faffy so I've started using the patches twice a week much easier. Might be an idea while you wait for estrogel, I haven't noticed any difference. Also only cost me £10!

It's a growing issue.

I was changed to 50 estrodot and there suddenly was a waiting list at the pharmacist. So was given x2 25 by the Gp pharmacist as temp measure.

Pharmacy then took me off the list (wasn't supposed to) and now I've found there's just no estrodot 50 available.

I'm now on a regime of 1.5 37.5 (which I had left over) or x2 25s for the next two months.

I don't pay for prescriptions due to thyroxine so am v lucky but highly aware of how bad this is for nhs and for thousands of women.

tempted to take out shares in companies that make it

I had this for 2 years in the UK. It drove me round the bend, having to put aside a week at a time to go to and fro the doctors/calling pharmacies etc.

In the end I moved to France and got a prescription first time here. This is a UK issue, unfortunately.

@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?

Does your surgery begin with an R?

Diane Danzebrink had shared an address to write to you highlight the issue in her fb group.

I'll have to find it; it was governmental dept.

She also did an anecdotal poll about other meds - no one else had a medication that they were having issues getting.

I had this so many times. My pharmacy just said for the GP to prescribe the generic drug rather than a specific one and then they could give me anything they had in stock; so whilst I’ve never had the same product twice, I do still get it.

I wanted to switch from Sandrena gel sachets to an Oestrogel pump and put in a request; but my GP practice refused on the grounds that 'there isn't any in the whole country' (voicemail message), which I though a bit dramatic.

The Sandrena sachets are very fiddly for someone like me with arthritic hands.

Plus my GP only prescribed a very low dose of Sandrena gel. She's very anti-HRT for reasons she seems unable to articulate properly. But that's probably a different thread (although it is illustrative of attitudes, perhaps).

@WarriorN

Diane Danzebrink had shared an address to write to you highlight the issue in her fb group.

I'll have to find it; it was governmental dept.

She also did an anecdotal poll about other meds - no one else had a medication that they were having issues getting.

You all need to write to Besins. Use the contact info on their UK website.

It's nothing to do with the government, it's simply an over-demand very quickly. Besins will have to increase production which doesn't happen overnight.

No point comparing it with other drugs as this is a result of the media input around menopause and one dr especially urging women to get HRT/ gel. You don't see TV progs , features and radio progs about other health issues where everyone is urged to get medication for them.

Not saying that is a bad thing BUT the outcome is- a shortage!

Are besins also estrodot?

I do agree with what you say. Davina uses estrodot and shared an Instagram post a few months ago. I was already on it via Gp.

I think Diane was making points around sexism in medicine as they've known for nearly a year that demand would go up.

This was where she suggested writing to in order to makes some noise at a gov level:

I think she was also trying to establish if other drugs had been affected by brexit/ pandemic as that's been a reason given by some places (possibly the DSHC, I'm not sure.)

@PermanentlyDizzy

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.

Thus does my head in. As a GP we have no idea what is in stock and the pharmacist is completely unreasonable to say the GP can sort. I've just been to get my sandrena gel and it's not in stock. She's trying to get the lower dose to double up but will contact the GP next week if can't get it. The patches are available so I might suggest those. Pharmacist said they don't know what's coming in or when so the GP can only prescribe what the pharmacies have!

I've just found this which is from Jan and seems to now be out of date from my experience, but shows how to contact different companies

thebms.org.uk/news/british-menopause-society-update-on-hrt-supply/

[quote WarriorN]I've just found this which is from Jan and seems to now be out of date from my experience, but shows how to contact different companies

thebms.org.uk/news/british-menopause-society-update-on-hrt-supply/[/quote]
What you quoted is dated March 22 this year.

The update is that Besins says it ought to be back to normal within a short space of time- perhaps a few weeks at most.

I'm not sure how anyone could have predicted this a year ago.
Did someone have insight into how many women would go onto HRT is early 2022?

I've used gel for 14 years. There was a time some years back when there was an issue as the packaging was at fault- they couldn't get some materials for it.

The problem now is that owing so so much media coverage of menopause lately, and the push by Dr Newson to get all her thousands of patients on gel, (or encourage them to ask for it) there is a demand that outstrips current supplies.

Ah yes I missed it was March as juggling rather.

The information here isn't matching what pharmacists are saying in my anecdotal experience.

Well, my friend who is in direct contact with Besins has been told what I just posted. I'd not expect pharmacists to know unless they speak to the company themselves as this is latest news over the past day or so.

It's estradot im having issues with.

I was told 50 is now out of stock. They've been getting 25 but never the full prescription in one go.

"Novartis pharmaceuticals
Supplies of Estradot TTS-75, Estradot TTS-25, Estradot TTS-37.5, Estradot TTS-50 and Estradot TTS-100 are all available. Estradot 37.5mg has been QA released and is now available to order.
If you are a healthcare professional and would like further information, please contact the Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Medical Information Services by email; [email protected] or by phone; +44 1276 698370"

Some info here:

www.mims.co.uk/shortages-oestrogen-only-hrt-reported/womens-health/article/1751061?fbclid=IwAR0rrqGKakNWTpQx3TEGhozyz36QMq7-KGxJDD4RbMFnn5Xx4HwZvFoU0tE