Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of using alternative HRT preparations on women experiencing menopausal symptoms, in the context of the shortage of certain HRT treatments.

While most hormone replacement therapy medicines (HRT) are available, we have appointed the Director General of the Vaccine Taskforce to lead a HRT taskforce to support the supply chain. Suppliers have secured additional stock of HRT products which are experiencing shortages and deliveries of further items have been expedited. We have issued Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) to limit dispensing to three months’ supply to maintain the current distribution levels and allow alternative products to be dispensed, as necessary.

The Department sought clinical advice for the SSPs from experts, including clinicians from the British Menopause Society and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in devising the current arrangements. The substituted products included in the SSPs are licensed medicines which are considered clinically appropriate by clinicians, such as transdermal patches.