Commenting on new data from the NHS Business Services Authority showing over two million women received HRT treatment on the NHS last year, Olivier Picard, Chair of the National Pharmacy Association said:
"This is very significant data and shows that a record number of women are accessing HRT support through the NHS.
"However, these surges in prescriptions for particular products do have unintended short-term consequences for medicine supply to patients and can exacerbate medicine shortages that blight pharmacies on a daily basis.
"Although supply for some HRT products are improving, shortages of certain strengths of Estradot are now some of the longest running of any medicine in NHS history.
"When prescribing habits change, we must make sure supply chains can keep up or we risk worsening access to medicines for patients and put more pressure on over stretched pharmacy teams."
