Menopause relief patch shortage sparks frustration and stress of pricey alternatives

From headaches to anxiety, depression, rage and muscle aches, Naomi Weatherburn-Reeves’ menopause symptoms were so bad she struggled to go to work. Now a product providing relief is becoming increasingly hard for women to find.

From headaches to anxiety, depression, rage and muscle aches, Naomi Weatherburn-Reeves’ menopause symptoms were at times so bad she struggled to leave home or go to work.

But when she started to lose her train of thought and experienced bouts of brain fog, she knew she needed to see her doctor.

“I worked in a corporate job and I found it so frustrating. People think menopause is just a few hot flushes but the mental side is really serious and often overlooked,” she said.

She finally found relief in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) patches, which reduced 90 per cent of her symptoms and improved both her physical and mental health.

But after using them for years, she learnt from her pharmacist that there was a nationwide shortage, and getting her hands on them became increasingly difficult.

Menopause sufferer Naomi Weatherburn-Reeves who has been affected by the HRT shortage for menopausal women. Picture: Richard Dobson

“There were women spending half their weeks driving around trying to get their hands on these patches, it was like a part-time job,” she said.

Patches last three and a half days and without them menopausal symptoms can return within hours or days.

Due to the shortage, Ms Weatherburn-Reeves was instead prescribed gels but, for her, they aren’t quite as effective or as cheap.

All forms of HRT patches are on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) system, costing around $25.00 or $7.70 for those with a healthcare card, however the most popular and commonly prescribed gel isn’t covered, meaning women such as Ms Weatherburn-Reeves are paying over $30 for each prescription.

“For me the gels … I experience a lot of headaches and a resumption of symptoms. There’s the cost factor too,” she said.

According to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), there are 12 different types of HRT patches currently in short supply, with some not expected to return to stock until August, others are hoped to return by mid-June.

To help with supply, the TGA approved access to ­overseas-registered versions, but they aren’t available on the PBS either.

The supply issue was triggered after Climara, one of just three oestrogen-only patches on the market, was discontinued.

Australasian Menopause Society executive director Vicki Doherty said the ongoing shortages showed the need for more HRT alternatives to be listed on the PBS.

“We have heard of stories of women becoming very distressed when they have not been able to source their menopausal hormone ­therapies (MHT),” she said.

She also said the supply dates for HRT patches had been “continuously” pushed out or changed, which only added stress to frustrated women and their doctors.

“Doctors have also been very frustrated with the shortages and many spend their lunch breaks trying to source MHT for their patients,” she said.

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