Hrt Shortages - Newstalk -the Hard Shoulder

Once again, from October 2021 to date women are left short of their HRT. At one point in mid February, there were no patches available and no gels available in the Republic of Ireland. Our doctors were running out of transdermal HRT options. The impact of this is that women, who have suffered in silence for years and finally sought appropriate treatment via HRT, which is working well for them, are suddenly left without the medication that has helped them get their lives on track. Why are these nationwide shortages happening? People assume Brexit, or supply chain issues or manufacturing issues. The reason is an increase in demand from Irish women, on foot of the Joe Duffy’s Liveline show and Davina McCall’s TV documentary.

I asked David Cullinane of Sinn Fein to ask a Parliamentary Question about this. The answer we received was fluff, so say the least - excuses for the shortages (supply chain, Brexit, etc.) and women are being told to ask their doctor for ‘alternative’ medications or generics. The problem with alternative and generics is that the alternatives too were out of stock and no generics exist in HRT. Would this happen if it was Viagra, for which many generics exist.

The Hard Shoulder invited me on to discuss. Listen back to the conversation here with Kate O’Connell, Pharmacist and former Fine Gael TD, Holly Cairns, Social Democrats TD for Cork South-West.

Sallyanne Brady, co-founder of The Irish Menopause was also interviewed. Listen back here.