An hormone alternative remedy (HRT) medicine for menopause is to be restricted to two-month prescriptions because the provider “struggled to meet rising demand”.
The authorities has issued a severe scarcity protocol (SSP) throughout the UK for Utrogestan 100mg tablets, that are a type of progesterone.
The order provisionally ends in August, in line with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and can “ensure more women can continue to access the medication they need”.
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An announcement saying the SSP mentioned: “Deliveries are continuously being made by the producer, Besins, however they’ve struggled to fulfill rising demand.
“The manufacturer is taking steps to increase supply, but in the meantime the SSP will support access to available stock.”
The DHSC “continues to monitor the HRT supply position very closely and work together with industry, the NHS and other key partners to help ensure the continuity of supply of HRT medicines across the UK for everyone that needs them”.
Last 12 months there have been provide points round HRT for menopause, and a number of SSPs had been put in place for numerous therapies.
At the time, the DHSC mentioned higher consciousness round menopause and extra confidence amongst GPs prescribing the therapies had induced a rise in demand.
Figures from OpenPrescribing recommended final 12 months that almost 538,000 prescriptions for HRT remedy had been issued in December 2021, in contrast with 238,000 in January 2017.
As properly as limiting the size of prescriptions, the federal government says it’s taking different actions to extend the availability of HRT – together with including some medicines to the checklist of merchandise which can’t be exported or hoarded.
Health minister Maria Caulfield mentioned: “Today’s decisive action will mean more women will be able to access this medicine, and I want to reassure women that the vast majority of HRT products are in good supply.
“The general provide of HRT merchandise has improved significantly over the past 12 months and I’m inspired by how trade is responding to the expansion in demand and our continued requires motion to spice up provide to fulfill it.
“We continue working to help ensure continuity of supply – which is a key part of increasing support for menopausal and pre-menopausal women and improving their quality of life.”
Source: information.sky.com”