16 hours ago
Month-long wait for access to free HRT medication
Women are facing 'significant' monthlong waits to access free Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT), has learned.
It comes just over a week after the Government rolled out its scheme to provide free-HRT.
The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) revealed this weekend that 93 per cent of Ireland's near-2,000 pharmacies have signed up to the scheme.
But the growing demand for HRT has exacerbated supply chain issues, resulting in significant delays for some women trying to access the medications, according to the IPU.
Spokeswoman Kathy Maher told 'We have seen a huge growth in women who use HRT and the shortages have been a problem for about three years now.' Women are facing 'significant' monthlong waits to access free Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT), has learned. Pic: Shutterstock
HRT, which is used to relieve symptoms of menopause, perimenopause and post-menopause, is now freely available under the State-backed scheme.
Pharmacies who sign up to the scheme receive a dispensing fee of €5 per item. They are also given a €2,000 once-off grant for transition arrangements such as upgrading their ICT systems.
The IPU previously argued the €5 dispensing fee was too low and called for it to be raised to at least €6.50 as pharmacists threatened to boycott the scheme.
But now more than nine-in-ten pharmacies have signed up after the IPU endorsed a revised version of the scheme following talks with the Department of Health. Welcoming the introduction of the scheme and the HSE's Pharmacy Finder – a tool that allows patients to locate local participating pharmacies – Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said that, as of June 1, 'every woman in Ireland has free access to both essential HRT products and the dispensing fees, removing financial barriers and providing vital support during all stages of menopause'.
More than 500,000 women aged between 45 and 64 are eligible for the scheme. The medication comes in various forms including tablets, patches, gels, creams and pessaries. The medication comes in various forms including tablets, patches, gels, creams and pessaries. Pic: Shutterstock
However, the popularity of the scheme is already having an impact on limited supplies of the medication.
The IPU said that due to shortages of certain HRT forms, pharmacists often have to refer women back to their GP to approve an alternative.
Ms Maher said HRT patches are the most commonly prescribed form of HRT but face the worst shortages because they are 'more complex' to manufacture.
Pharmacists are also frustrated as essential HRT orders often fail to arrive on time and with the necessary stock.
Ms Maher, who runs the Haven Pharmacy in Duleek, Co. Meath, added: 'At the beginning of every month we will receive an allocation of the medicines that are in short supply. But I don't know what's coming in.' The popularity of the scheme is already having an impact on limited supplies of the medication. Pic: Shutterstock
The IPU said the solution is difficult because 'it's a supply chain issue, there's little they [Government] can really do'.
Ms Maher said the development of Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs), which would allow pharmacists to dispense alternative medications without needing to contact the patient's GP first, will help to address the delays.
The Oireachtas is considering the Health Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024, which would allow pharmacists to substitute medications in certain circumstances.
The Department of Health said it is 'aware of the stress that shortages of medicines, including HRT products, can cause for patients and healthcare professionals'.
In a statement to a spokesman said: 'Managing and mitigating these shortages is a priority, with several workstreams actively engaged across the Department and the broader health service. The Health Products Regulatory Authority has engaged with suppliers to understand the reasons for current reports and to examine opportunities for regulatory flexibilities to assist meeting current demand.'
Reporting by Kate Lynch
