Hormone replacement therapy could be made available over the counter for the first time
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Your support makes all the difference.Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could be made available to buy over the counter.
Health watchdogs are proposing a re-classification of the medication so women would be able to buy it in pharmacies without a prescription, it’s claimed.
HRT is mainly used to treat menopause symptoms but it is not yet known which version of the medication will be a part of the proposal, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Symptoms can include hot flushes, reduced sex drive and mood swings and usually pass after a few years.
More than one million women a year are believed to suffer each year but treatment is currently only available after consultation with a GP or a specialist.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "We understand that for some women menopause symptoms can have a significant impact on their quality of life, and we are committed to improving the care and support they receive.
"That’s why we’re developing the first ever government-led Women’s Health Strategy, informed by women’s lived experience. Menopause, including improving access to Hormone Replacement Therapy, will be a priority under the Strategy."
It comes after the government announced in October that the cost of repeated HRT prescriptions would be reduced in England.
Previously The Independent reported that women going through the menopause face medical bills amounting to thousands of pounds after being forced to pay for hormone replacement therapy.
Many of the 3.4 million women aged between 50 and 64 in the UK will be experiencing symptoms of the menopause – with side effects ranging from heart palpitations to hot flushes, vaginal pain, anxiety and depression.
Almost half of women going through the menopause said they were left with no option but to seek private healthcare.
The research from the Menopause Support Network, which was shared exclusively, found 48 per cent of just over 600 women polled said they had been forced to go private.
Healthcare providers have warned that menopausal women were resorting to private treatment due to failing to get proper support or correct prescriptions from NHS doctors.
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