gel - how much do you get on a prescription?

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Just picked up my first prescription for Oestrogel pump. Have been advised to start on 3 pumps a day, potentially increase to 4 depending on how I get on. But there's only one box in the bag, and a quick google says it will last about 3 weeks?

I am in Scotland and don't pay for prescriptions, but could really do without schelpping to the chemist every 3 weeks. Is one box at a time a standard thing?

Umm, sounds like you have lost out some how. Either dr wrote the wrong amount or the chemist dispensed the wrong amount.

Three pumps a day as a start seems a lot?

I started on 1-2 pumps, for me, 1 pump has been fine. But I get two boxes at a time, which should last the two months. My GP will only give two months supply of anything, I don't know why, but that annoys me too, as costs me a fortune, £18 per visit, I should get at least three months, but the won't budge.

When I was on 2 pumps I got one bottle. Now I'm on 3 pumps I get bottles at a time.

When I started on HRT patches, I used to get 3 months at a time. Apparently it's more efficient to only dispense medicines in batches of one month.

I'm going to be on this medication for years (for life, I hope) and I'm not going to waste it as it really transforms my life.

I don't see how adding 3-weekly admin tasks to me, to the GP and to the pharmacy saves the NHS any money. Luckily the GP agrees, and lets me have 6 weeks' supply.

I use 2/3 pumps a day and I get two bottles per month on prescription. The nhs menopause specialist wrote to my GP to ask them to prescribe this amount for me.

I only get one bottle a month (2 pumps a day) but get the prescription certificate thingy for around £10 a month which saves money if you have more than two prescriptions on a regular basis (which I do with progesterone as well plus two other medications).

I'm switching from patches - specialist thinks that I am not absorbing the oestrogen from the patches and I am also having an itchy reaction to the glue on Evorel. Which is why the dose is higher to start with.

Will ask for 2 bottles on the repeat.

Because of the shortage of gel and some patches, the max allowed is 3 months.

The pump bottle holds 64 pumps.

so, 3 pumps a day = 21 days approx.

As others have said, it's unusual to start on 3 pumps (2 is the norm) but if you are already on a patch, presumably it's the equivalent?

3 pumps is roughly a 75mcg patch.

Yes I have been using a 75 mcg Evorel patch. Switching to gel as the doctor thinks I am not absorbing well from the patches, so 3 pumps is about equivalent.

4 pumps a day, and I get six bottle every time I get a prescription.

I was given 2 pumps a day to start and 2 bottles in my first prescription so enough for 2 months but then had to go for a BP check before they put me on repeat. So maybe it's that?

Although I still only got 2 bottles in my second batch, but got 3 months' worth of progesterone which doesn't make much sense

I used to get 2 bottles but when the supply issue started I was given 1 per request. I have a pre-payment certificate so it’s annoying in terms of time rather than cost.
I was (started) on 4 pumps, now I’m on 3.

I get 9 bottles on my prescription. this covers me for 6 months at 3 pumps per day.
I have it on repeat.
Last prescription was in early Nov and the supply didn’t seem restricted as I was given full 9 bottles by Boots. Also get 6 packs of Utrogestan.

Much better as paying 2x prescription charges every 6 months, plus not having to chase GP for prescription or track it down at pharmacist.

So lucky.....

How come you get 6 months worth when the rule for a shortage item is 3 months?

I know it's not your fault, but it doesn't seem fair when many women can't get any.

How does your GP manage to do this?

No idea. It’s on repeat and requested and received by pharmacist electronically. Was all set up before the restrictions so I imagine just goes through. However pharmacist happily hands it over and has never queried it.

Perhaosnwhen it’s my yearly review it will all be changed. I don’t know.

Yes I get one bottle at a time for 2 pumps and its bloody annoying. Especially as you cant tell when its going to run out.

1 bottle at a time for 2 pumps. It's not too tricky to get more, my GP has a form to fill on their website and then I pick it up from the chemist. But yes I'd rather do that every 2 or 3 months than every 3 or 4 weeks!

It's not your fault @WombatChocolate but your GPs.
Someone using 4 pumps a day gets through a bottle in 2 weeks, so their 3 months worth would be 6 bottles.
It's surprising the pharmacist has not queried it with the GP (they often make a call to check) because the shortage of medicines is still in place.

I can't get more than 3 months of ANYTHING. I have been taking thyroxine for about 5 years, stable dose, plentiful supplies, cheap as chips. Yet I can only get 8 weeks worth at a time. At least it's set up on a serial prescription so that the pharmacy just texts me and reminds me that i'm due another 2 boxes and I don't have to go in and renew the prescription.

Hoping to hear that the chemist has my gel for me before Christmas, if not it'll have to be back to the patches which give me an allergic reaction as even that's better than no HRT.

Haha, just ordered it through GP for the first time…..I got one measly bottle! I’m on 4 pumps a day FFS! Think I’ll go back to ordering it privately, don’t have the patience to try and educate my GP.

I’m on 2 pumps a day and last time was prescribed 6 bottles, previously for 6 months I’d been on 1 per month.
I don’t mind monthly as that is what my blood pressure meds are, I order on the nhs app and then pick up from Tesco with my weekly shop

I am on one pump per day and was prescribed 3 bottles. I can go up to 2 pumps if needed but one is working fine so far.

I'm still waiting to hear about the repeat prescription request I phoned through on Monday. if it doesn't come through, I'll run out in a week and will have to go back to teh patches i'm allergic to as not HRT isn;t an option at the moment.

If ONLY 100 mcg Estradot was reliably available.

Got my repeat. 2 bottles. Phew. Won't be running out over the festive period.