Figures suggest the number of HRT prescriptions in the UK has more doubled in the last five years (James Manning/PA)
(Picture: PA Wire)An acute shortage of hormone replacement therapy medicines should be tackled by the Health Secretary rather than being delegated to a “HRT czar”, a campaigner said on Monday.
It came as Sir Rod Stewart became the latest celebrity to join calls for Government action on menopause, following his wife Penny Lancaster, Davina McCall and Mariella Frostrup.
Labour MP Carolyn Harris, who the Government last year appointed as co-chairwoman of its menopause taskforce, today called on Sajid Javid to take direct responsibility for easing a supply crisis of HRT drugs.
She said the current shortages were “absolutely insane”. They have been reported in a range of products due to a huge increase in demand, from about 300,000 to more than 500,000 a month in the last year.
Supply issues in London and the South-East are reportedly “very acute”.
Ms Harris, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on menopause, told Radio 4’s Today that she welcomed Mr Javid’s decision to appoint a HRT czar.
But she added: “It doesn’t really need a czar, if I’m honest. He could do this, he could decide to loosen the regulations on the formularies and make this product available across the country. It could happen very, very quickly.”
Later on LBC, Ms Harris said twice as many women were now being prescribed HRT. Previously many, like herself, were wrongly given anti-depressants. “That has led to shortages, but not with all products,” she said.
“There has been short-sightedness with one company and the Government has done very little to actually get that remedied as urgently as it should have done.”
Mr Javid has promised to meet with suppliers “to look at ways we can work together to improve supply in the short and long term”.
