Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: ChocolateWombat on April 30, 2022, 07:37:41 AM
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BBC website is reporting that 3 shortage products will have a temporary restriction to 3 months supply on prescriptions to help ‘even out’ supply. It says anyone with a longer prescription (presumably on repeat or already issued) won’t have to pay extra charges to get the rest of their supply.
I’m not sure how much of the problem is created by women having long and large quantity prescriptions, or simply the fact there are so many women on Oestrogel now, but I guess it will help a bit.
I suspect it will cause some prescription chaos as lots of GPs are. It especially good at getting quantities for a certain number of pumps over a certain period right anyway. Plus, lots of women will end up with unbalanced prescriptions - perhaps 6 months supply of Utrogestan and only 3 of Oestrogel. I wonder if many women will face more inconvenience and hassle as a result.
Is this because the HRT shortage has become a big media issue now and the government has to be seen to act and do something. Whether this is the right thing to do or could create more problems doesn’t matter, but they can now say action has been taken??
And interesting to see how this impacts those women who are struggling to get more than 1 mo th of supply anyway. Will it make those GPs realise that many areas are prescribing far more usually, or confirm to them that their short prescribing is the way to go.
Not sure when this takes effect, but anyone sitting on a prescription or who has a repeat that they activate electronically might consider activating it!
Hope it does help more women get what they need and tide the system over until supply increases and they actually then do return to letting people have a 6 month supply, if they have found a system that works for them.
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Just seen the temporary restriction on 3 products lasts until 31 July.
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I’ve always had my prescription on a two month basis and didn’t realise you could have more than this so no change for me. Just hope I can get the stuff when it’s next due! If they are rationing to 3 months supply…..I hope they don’t get their data in a mess over this exercise and tell me I can’t have any more (yet!) since mine was dispensed only 2 months ago. Of course, that would never happen, the government are going to sort this out I’m sure ::)
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My GP would only give me a month at a time but last month I received an email saying to save their time they were changing to either 2 months at a time or 6 months prescription, my choice, but the pharmacist would order them and I would still receive monthly. My OH is now taking long term medication for his heart and he has also been changed to 2 months. There is a notice up in our pharmacy about how much money is wasted on drugs not taken so I think that probably has a bearing too.
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I've only ever been able to get a month at a time and I've been on hrt for 15 years now. Strange how it varies from practice to practice :-\
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I can't believe that some places have given 6 months at a time! I consider myself lucky that I get 3 months at a time except when the shortages were occurring a few years ago and then we only got 2 months. 6 months to me is excessive and of course can lead to shortages!
Hurdity x
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I can't see it making much difference, I don't think there are many women who get more than 3 months anyway. I get 2 and they refuse to make it 3. I wonder how much each prescription costs to administer? I doubt one month prescriptions are cost effective, there can't be too many people who drop dead/change medication in a couple of months.
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I have only ever been given one month at a time, but on my recent annual review I asked for and got it two monthly. I only asked in case they make over 60's pay for prescriptions.
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There is a UK shortage of many HRT products. Doesn't seem to be a problem in Europe >:(
More knowledge. More prescriptions. More hold ups? More worry :-\
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Fascinating, I didn't even realise there were differences in prescription length! I've always been given 3 months ans assumed that was the norm (with my other meds such as ADs I can only get 1 month).
I wonder why the variance.. seems so arbitrary!
Trying not to get anxious about potential lack of availability HRT ;D