Hormone replacement therapy is set to be sold over the counter for the first time, it was revealed.
Every year, around 1.5 million women experience difficult menopause symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and sleep disturbance.
But only one in ten have been able to get the treatment which currently is only available after a consultation with a GP or specialist.
Britain’s health regulator is now poised to reclassify the drug, however, so women can get it from a pharmacy without a prescription, reports the Daily Telegraph.
Charities said the move was a ‘good thing’, but warned they did not want women to ‘self-diagnose’ whether or not they needed the medication.
HRT — available as a tablet, skin patch, gel or cream — works by boosting levels of hormones in the body that drop during the menopause.
It currently costs about £19 for a month’s prescription, with the cost being repayed every time it is renewed. But in a saving of up to £200, ministers are now considering making it available on an annual prescription at the same price.
The pending decision follows the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) making contraceptives available over the counter last year.
Health watchdogs are now set to propose reclassifying the medication so women can get it from a pharmacy without a prescription (stock image)
The news comes after a lengthy campaign to improve access to HRT and reduce the cost for those who receive it on prescription (stock image)
Haitham Hamoda, the chairman of the British Menopause Society, said: ‘Improving access to HRT is a good thing but it is really important that women can access all the help and advice they need.
‘It’s great that there is so much conversation about menopause now, and people are far more open about it. But we don’t want this to come down to a question of self-diagnosis – it’s really important that those thinking about starting HRT get the right information.’
The news comes after a lengthy campaign to improve access to HRT and reduce the cost for those who receive it on prescription.
In October, ministers announced that HRT costs would be cut by up to £200 a year – with costs of up to £19 a month replaced by one annual prescription for the same price.
A spokesman 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.’
The spokesman added that the menopause and improving access to HRT would be a ‘priority’ under the new Women’s Health Strategy, which is being developed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
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