MNHQ here: have you had difficulty obtaining HRT?

[RhiannonEMumsnet]

Hi there,

We know that many Mumsnet users have experienced problems obtaining HRT when they want/need it, and we’d like to get a sense of the scale of the issue to inform our campaigning work.

We’d really appreciate it if you could let us know (via the poll on this thread) if you’ve had a problem getting HRT when you wanted or needed it in the last year. It could be that you struggled to get a prescription from your GP - or to get an appointment to see them in the first place! Or any other obstacle that you encountered.

If you’d like to share a bit more about your experience then please do post on the thread - we’d love to hear from you.

Thanks,
MNHQ

I can’t see the poll.

My GP was fine with prescribing it, but local pharmacies were unable to fulfil the prescriptions and so I had to go back to the GP for alternative scripts. Which were also hard to source. I have a busy life and it was a pain to chase. I then ran out of one drug due to poor supply and had to go cold Turkey. So I gave up taking HRT and I put up with the symptoms at present. The poor access affects my health, mood and work productivity.

Can't see the poll.

Outstanding female partner led practice. Age 45 I went in about a different problem, GP suggested HRT. I saw a gynae and was on HRT within two months.

Increased strength of oestrogen twice in four months with no argument from GP.

GP fitted mirena coil, gave oestrogen cream and now prescribes testosterone.

I have mirena and oestrogen patches. Never struggled to get anything though am only allowed a month of patches at a time from GP pharmacist.

I have a nightmare trying to get them to give me testosterone. I stopped using gel when the supplies ran out and went on to latches which suit me better but they can often make my skin itch. Love estradot but can’t get it anywhere round here ever. I never know if the chemist will actually have any stuff in. It’s very stressful.

I've been on HRT for nearly 10 years now. Early meno at 43!
Started on a combined patch and had no problems getting that. Now on Estrogen patch, Utrogestan, and Testogel. Every single time for the past few years I've had issues with supply of one or all of them. Am supposed to have Estradot but that's not been available for a year or two, then it was Utrogestan supply problem. Only been on testosterone for a while.
Luckily am on 6 month prescription because I'm so fed up of the ringing round. My heart sinks when I see there is about a months supply left because I have to gee myself up for all the ringing around and pharmacy visits.
Getting the nurse/GP appointment isn't usually a problem but I am under NhS menopause clinic which I dropped off the radar for a couple of years during Covid!

I haven't had problems getting it, but have had several different types of packaging and issues with some of the bottles.

Have filled in reports on yellow card and have recently been contacted asking me to return the bottle for testing.

My GP had to prescribe Utrogestan in smaller quantities than usual earlier this year due to supply shortages. There were delays getting it from the pharmacy, too, but I always got it before I ran out.

Estradot is next to impossible at the moment. I am on the 100 patches but they are not available anywhere. I got a prescription for 50s and eventually managed to get those, but only from a village pharmacy in a totally out of the way place I happened to be visiting. Last time I went into Boots they said they would not be able to get even Estradot 50 until January, and this was back in September.

At my previous GP surgery I was refused hrt which I think was something to do with my gp's own personal views.
Moving house left my in a different catchment area so had to change gp's
I had no difficulty obtaining hrt at all especially as I say in front of the GP with sweat pouring down my face.
One laughable moment was when he gave me tissues to mop my face and the shredded apart and I'm sat there with bits of tissue all over my face.
Iv had good results with Kliovance.and no trouble getting repeat prescriptions

I hope this won't turn into a GP bashing thread. I work in a surgery and we are continuously having difficulties with HRT products being out of stock. This is completely beyond our control and frustrates us as much as our patients.

I would add that my GP has been good, and seemed very knowledgeable about HRT.

The problem has been securing an appointment (even by phone) in the first place, and where reviews are necessary it can leave gaps in medication (which has given unwanted symptoms like bleeding, for example ). I'm guessing it's a similar story everywhere trying to get an appointment.

We know that many Mumsnet users have experienced problems obtaining HRT when they want/need it,

That's really not how research works. Research needs to be impartial, rather than looking for something to confirm an already predetermined and unevidenced premise. The wording of this also discourages people from disagreeing, further making the apparent results even more unreliable.

Yes, I had to go up a level as there's a national shortage of estradot 25 (think it was that). Even then i ended up having it subbed with Evorel which doesn't seem to work quite so well.

So I'm on a higher dose of a different medicine to the one my GP initially recommended. That can't be how it's meant to be.

I haven’t voted as it doesn’t really fairly reflect the issue i encountered- the problem is getting a doctors appointment for any non emergency thing. There are basically no non emergency appointments, so it’s not HRT specific. I haven’t had a problem getting it as I just went private but obviously that’s not an ideal solution.

I missed the poll but yes, I have had difficulty:

1. getting an appointment with the nurse. Has to be face to face, every six months or they wont give me a prescription. Took me two weeks, 2 days to get in. All she does is weigh me & check my blood pressure (normal), which i could do myself.
2. The pharmacy never has the script when i go in, i always have to go back.
3. The pharmacy only ever has half the script or, occasionally, none and it has to be ordered.
4. My GP surgery is still in the stone age, staffed by locums, with an app that doesnt work.

It shouldnt be this difficult.

It should be possible to get Testosterone too if HRT isnt cutting it.

I’ve also missed the poll I originally went privately for my HRT as during covid it wasn’t possible to see a GP and unfortunately trying to get past the receptionist for an appointment isn’t easy. So after a year of private prescriptions and consultations I was put on an annual review and can request my HRT prescription via an app from them.
However due to the high rising cost of living it’s more affordable for my GP to give me a prescription and I use the PPC for HRT but it’s been a fight with them to give me a prescription every time I’ve needed a new one. I’ve never actually seen my Gp which is absolute bizarre I’ve had to stand in the reception asking them for a prescription even more embarrassing telling them the names of my items and what it’s for baring in mind that there’s people sat there and behind me and they then pop out to the doctor to sign a prescription. I ask for individual prescription’s due to them often being out of stock that way I can visit many different chemist’s until I’ve got it all. A couple of months ago one item was totally out of stock everywhere and I had to resort to paying full price at an online pharmacy send them the GP prescription to prove I am on that medication and now the GP has said they’ll no longer prescribe that item for me because of this I told the online pharmacy that they could inform my GP that they had issued me the prescription that they had originally given me. Receptionist called me saying oh we don’t need to prescribe that to you anymore in a very harsh manner. I’m due another prescription soon and I don’t want the fight at the GP practice that I know I’m going to have and I simply cannot afford the private route this month I’ve been Poorly so unable to do extra hours at work to cover the costs

I feel like I have to jump through flaming hoops for every prescription. I’ve had a couple of times where there’s been no Sandrena anywhere. Luckily my friend gives me some estrogel to tide me over. Also have problems getting my progesterone constantly. I’m on Cyclogest and my gp won’t put it on my repeat so I have to make an appointment and beg for every prescription (my gp was asked to prescribe by my specialist but I still have to go through this rigmarole every time). I have also been prescribed testosterone but it’s impossible to get hold of so I’ve always just continued to pay £100 per tube for it on a private prescription.

I had a surgical menopause in my early 40s and can’t function without HRT (constant migraine, joint pain etc) so these supply issues are a nightmare. It started in Covid but it’s getting so much worse now.

I have had no problems getting Lenzetto spray or Utrogestan capsules. Recently was prescribed testosterone (testim) but there is a lack of supply so am waiting on alternatives. This is Dorset. GP is completely amazing.

Normal HRT, very easy and Doctors very supportive.

Had to have a referral to the menopause clinic to be prescribed testosterone, though, and that involved a six month wait.

I had no problem at all. Went to see GP. Quick chat, weighed and blood pressure checked and walked out with a prescription for patches. Went straight to the chemist, waited 5 minutes and walked out with my patches!

Yes.
Appointment not with a GP but an advanced nurse practitioner.
Prescribed HRT patches based on my description of symptoms within about 5 minutes of a 7 minute appointment.

Had to go back at 3 month mark for a HRT check with a different nurse practitioner who immediately stopped HRT patches due to high blood pressure.
Meno symptoms have come back with a raging vengeance, BP still high as the blood pressure pills are up titrated, it’s been 3 months without HRT now.
Still refusing to prescribe HRT patches as BP not controlled.
No further nurse appointment made, no further prescription for antihypertensives provided, filling out a BP diary, BP still raised so unlikely to get a prescription for HRT for another 2-4 weeks while BP meds up titrated again.
Bloods taken, no way of finding out results unless I get an appointment with the nurse.

I am miserable and suffering. In limbo but happy to advocate for myself.

They didn't have any patches when I first got hrt and then half way through they ran out of the gel and I got patches. I prefer the patches.

I’ve had difficulty with being pressured to go on HRT when I do not want it and it seemed a stupid idea.

I had to push and go to the GP twice to get a referral to gynae for unexplained bleeding from the cervix. It was suggested I go on HRT of all things because they tried to tell me it’s peri and irregular periods. No it wasn’t. I can tell the difference between period blood and not period blood.

As it is a symptom of cancer, the last thing I should be offered is estrogen which feeds cancer without being checked for cancer first?!

On top of that the 2 week pathway doesn’t exist in my postcode so even though I have now been referred will likely be months and I really don’t want the first appointment with a gynae to be going over no it’s not irregular period bleeding and no I don’t want HRT, I want to be tested for cancer.

This year I've been unable to get Utrogestan.

Been reduced to monthly repeat prescriptions instead of 3 monthly.

Changes from Estradot to Everol as I couldn't get Estradot.

Couldn't get Tostran so now using Testogel testosterone.

Can't get the Estring vaginal pessary so currently no topical estrogen and symptoms now impacting my ability to function.

I haven't seen a GP since 2019. All appointments are econsult and the dr/pharmacy replies with a text.

Absolutely sick to death of it and wish I hadn't started HRT. Really need to get myself off it as its just so stressful trying to fill prescriptions and manage symptoms as well as side effects.

I started HRT 2yrs ago, at the time I was surprised how easy it was. But then the prescribing recommendations changed, I can no longer take the patch combination which worked so well for me and I cant cope with utrogestan instead. My GPs don't have routine appointments only emergency appointments, the nurse doesn't know what else to prescribe. So I'm now stuck taking a dosage which is only lessening my symptoms slightly.
So my problem isn't really about not being able to get a prescription, it's more about not being able to get a GP appointment at all or an appointment with anyone remotely knowledgable.
I've not had any issues with medication shortages though.

I agree the it is nigh on impossible to get to speak to a dr about issues you might be having with medication. Utrogestan really doesn’t agree with me but I can tolerate norithisterone but the dr said they won’t prescribe it. So I have HRT but half of the month is utter misery because of the progesterone. They don’t care or are ignorant. They are firefighting and if you are not at risk of death it seems to have to shift for yourself.

I haven’t had any issues getting a prescription, however there were supply issues at one point (I use patches). I didn’t have to change my prescription in the end as the pharmacy managed to get hold of some, but it was a concern at one point. Now I renew my prescription a bit earlier so I have time to sort something out if needed.