LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Many women rely on estrogen patches to get through menopause. Now a local pharmacist says some of the most common doses are getting harder to find.
Access varies by product
The FDA says estradiol patches are still on the market, but pharmacist Kelsey Jimenez of Evergreens Drugs said it is hard for patients to get those actual products. Jimenez said ASHP has stated it is working to track back orders for those specific products.
Jimenez said many patients are now calling multiple pharmacies, looking for their strength. She said access is uneven. Not all patches are unavailable, she said, and the problem is specific to the manufacturer, strength or package size.
Jimenez said many patients do not check with Evergreens Drugs to see if their strength is in stock, and that many large chains do not carry a lot of the regular strengths at this time. She said availability varies from pharmacy to pharmacy, and one pharmacy being out does not mean another is. Evergreens Drugs has some patches available, she said.
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Demand and production
Jimenez said demand for menopause treatment has surged and manufacturers were not ready for the amount being prescribed. She said manufacturers are working to expand production.
Jimenez said she does not expect the situation to become a lasting problem because manufacturers have been open about expanding production. She said the pharmacy is taking things day by day.
“They are available. It’s just not everywhere,” Jimenez said.
Pharmacist’s advice
“Call up your pharmacy that usually fills the prescription. They can give you all the details to see what’s available, and if it’s not available, the pharmacist can look at other pharmacies or contact your prescriber to change the dosing,” Jimenez said.
Her advice is to call ahead, work with your pharmacist and doctor on options, and not panic if your usual pharmacy is temporarily out. She said patients should be open with their pharmacist so the pharmacy can work to get their patches in stock, and should try not to stress about it too much.
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