Oestrogel out of stock again. What alternative ?

[TheDogsMother]

Lloyds Online Pharmacy is unable to fulfill my prescription of Oestrogel so I wondered if anyone else had successfully swapped to another product ? I'm on continuous Oestrogel and Utogestan.

Have you tried Boots Prescription In Stock system? Online.

It shows where you can obtain drugs within x miles of your postcode. To search a wider area, you'd need to put in a postcode slightly outside your own.

At the moment, when there is a shortage, it's better if possible to have a physical paper prescription that you can take to any pharmacy, rather than having only one pharmacy that you nominate.

The alternatives to Oestrogel are Sandrena gel, Lenzetto (spray) or an estrogen-only patch.

Pharmacists were given the legal powers to offer suitable alternatives, when the shortages became widespread, so you ought to go back to them and ask, first.

There are also several menopause websites that have tables of HRT and the alternatives/ doses. I think one is the Women's Health Concern, and the BMS and the site of Dr Newson.

I don’t know if this applies where you live, but will suggest anyway! I make sure and order a new prescription 2 weeks before I need it. When I get it and take it around the pharmacies they often report oestrogel is out of stock. I then leave the prescription with the main local pharmacy I use and they have always (so far) had it back within stock within about a week. (I have leftover patches for back up for the month this doesn’t work.) Good luck .

Boots have had no trouble fulfilling my prescription in Norfolk. Is there a Boots near you? I’d ring them and see if they can get it in for you.

I've just swapped from Sandrena to oestrogel for the same reason and was told by a helpful lady in Lloyds that Boots and Superdrug use different suppliers to them so it's important to check all 3 stores in your area if possible (she was right and I found a small stash in Superdrug) I'm in Berkshire if it helps and my dr changed me to oestrogel which was no problem to get hold of (so far) good luck!

Thanks so much everyone. I thought by using a centralised online pharmacy this would be ok but some great advice here. I will will be exploring it all.