Dr changing HRT prescription to acute from repeat?

[MorrowTreasure]

Is this normal practice? I’ve been on HRT for 2 years. I thought it was an annual review but my dr wanting 6 monthly reviews and taking my HRT off my repeat list so I have to request a new prescription monthly through a consult. Seems ridiculous. Anyone else had this?

An annual review is the absolute minimum required. I don’t think a review twice a year is a bad thing. It gives you a chance to discuss whether you want it adjusted. Also to get blood pressure and bloods checked just in case you develop another condition that might mean the HRT would need to be adjusted for your own health.

On a side note, I have to request my repeat prescriptions online every month regardless of how often the review is. I think that is normal. Acute is meant to be temporary- like the time I had to take 6 months of antibiotics. Going from acute to repeat means a long term need.

But surely HRT is seen as along term need as it’s usually prescribed for years?

I too have to have a review every year - at my last one I pointed out that I would have run short if I hadn’t had ‘spares’ (due to forgetting to change patches, thanks menopause) because I didn’t get a reminder to book the appointment!

Yeah it’s a bit odd unless it’s because they put you on acute running up to review so you actually do the review and then put you back on repeat afterwards.

I have had this for some thyroid meds I take forever. So I don’t just ignore booking a review I think. Once I’ve done the review I go bank on repeat until just before my next review

Oh sorry, I just realised my dyslexia read your title backwards. I thought it had been changed from acute to repeat, but you’ve written from repeat to acute.

That doesn’t make sense, and honestly it could be a prescription clerk with dyslexia like me making an error!

I would call the prescription clerk and ask if an error has been made? Could they check with the GP?

The pharmacist at the GP called me to tell me they were switching to acute from repeat and I said that wasn’t great and they said well you just have to ask for a new prescription each month. I don’t why they would do this? I’ll ask at the review but she didn’t sound like she was going to change her mind.

I had this and raised a complaint in the practice citing the BMS statement that practice prescribing should not be barrier to HRT access.

There is obviously much more to it than that, but I work away from home 1 week per month and with the utrogestan shortage at the time and my practice insistence that I had to provide BP readings every month when I ordered it caused me many instances where I was struggling to get it in time and having to get emergency pharmacy fills. I found it incredibly stressful.

I did get the opportunity to talk to the GP Partner and they admitted there were several complaints and it was also causing stress and difficulties to the GPs. They recruited a new nurse specialist and now I get an annual review with a 6 month check in and can order up to 6 months at a time to facilitate my work schedule, which is a huge relief as I will be returning to longer foreign travel again soon.

Really? I've been on hrt for two years, never had a review or my blood pressure taken since. I didn't have my blood pressure taken before I went on it either. That's slightly concerning.

Modern HRT that is transdermal +Utrogestan rarely raises BP and in fact Utrogestan can lower it. It's the old types- tablets- (and the Pill) that are sometimes a cause of higher BP.

If you're worried you can buy a BP monitor cheaply and do it at home.

I have been on HRT for 5 years now and have an annual review where they check my BP, weight and check in plus three monthly repeat prescriptions. I have to call and request it be sent to the pharmacy but I simply put 12 weekly reminders in my phone - it helps you can request it 21 days in advance and with my first prescription I was told to apply for a repeat after 8 weeks to build a supply in case they fell off/stick to each other on application etc - luckily all ok.

Are blood pressure checks standard with hrt? I had one before starting meds and I'm now on variation 4 (tweaked it every 6 months or so).
No physical checks offered.

Are the risks significant? Does it depend on the type of her?