Can’t Find Your Estradiol Patch? You’re Not Alone.
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For providers, patients, and their loved ones caught in the crossfire. Let's talk about a topic driving me insane lately. We finally start talking about and treating women's health, then we run the patches into a shortage.
If you've been scrambling to find your estradiol patch, calling numerous pharmacies, local and mail order, you are not alone. Your mom, aunt, coworker, and sister are all probably having the same issue.
This is a REAL problem and women are suffering and spending unnecessary time running around doing it. Most of us don't have extra time to spare, and we definitely don't want to spend it on hold with a pharmacy.
So, what's happening?
We started actually listening to and treating women in perimenopause and menopause. Then supply chain issues made certain estradiol patches hard, sometimes impossible, to find. And because hormone therapy carries decades of misinformation, there's not exactly a line of manufacturers rushing to fix it. BUT conversations are happening this week!
What happens when you can't get your patch?
For some patients, interruptions in hormone therapy can mean symptoms start creeping back in. Hot flashes. Mood changes. Joint pain. Sleep problems. Bleeding or spotting.
Then you find the patches, restart them, and hope you're not doing the same thing all over again next month.
What can you do?
Start by asking your pharmacy whether you can fill a 90-day supply. Even if your provider writes the prescription that way, your pharmacy or insurance may not automatically fill all three months at once.
If your usual patch isn't available, talk with your prescriber. Depending on your symptoms, medical history, insurance coverage, and individual risk factors, other forms of estradiol may be an option. These can include estrogen gel, spray, a systemic estradiol vaginal ring, or oral estradiol.
Don't switch products or doses on your own. These medications aren't necessarily interchangeable dose for dose.
What am I doing for patients daily
Most are opting to switch to a gel applied once daily. A few have started the prior auth process for the vaginal ring. And a few have switched to oral estradiol depending on their overall health and risk factors.
Bottom line: there are other options besides the patch. Work with someone who knows the hoops to jump through. We are professional hoop jumpers over here!
This information is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Do not stop or change hormone therapy without talking with your healthcare provider.
