The Department of Health has announced that from 1st April 2023, women prescribed HRT – the main treatment for menopause symptoms – will have access to a new scheme enabling access to a year’s worth of menopause prescription items for the cost of two single prescription charges (currently £18.70).
As part of commitments to reduce the cost of HRT for menopausal women, the prepayment certificate will be valid for 12 months. It can be used against a list of HRT prescription items, and a patient can use this against an unlimited number of HRT items, such as patches, tablets and topical preparations. There will be no limit to how many times the certificate can be used while it is valid.
Reducing the cost of HRT is just one of the steps being taken by the government to improve access to HRT, alongside continuing work with suppliers to encourage and support them to boost supply to meet growing demand.
The introduction of the certificate delivers one of the government’s year one priorities for the Women’s Health Strategy for England. Published last summer, the strategy sets out an ambitious new agenda for improving the health and wellbeing of women and girls and to improve how the health and care system listens to women. Menopause was announced as a priority area within the strategy.
Menopause
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “This new certificate will make HRT more accessible than ever before – helping around 400,000 women save hundreds of pounds a year. This is another step in our drive to improve support for millions of women experiencing the menopause, delivering on our Women’s Health Strategy.”
Minister for Women, Maria Caufield, said: “Around three-quarters of women will experience menopause symptoms, with a quarter experiencing severe symptoms – which can seriously impact their quality of life. Reducing the cost of HRT is a huge moment for improving women’s health in this country, and I am proud to be announcing this momentous step forward. In our Women’s Health Strategy, we made menopause a top priority. By making HRT more accessible, we’re delivering on our commitment to women.”
Women’s Health Ambassador, Dame Lesley Regan, said: “The menopause is an inevitable stage in a woman’s life course. As a gynaecologist, I’ve witnessed first-hand the symptoms that women experience, which can have debilitating impacts on their daily lives. Making HRT more affordable will have a hugely beneficial impact on the lives of so many women. This prepayment certificate is a major step forward in prioritising the health and wellbeing of women.”
Around 15 percent of women aged 45 to 64 in England are currently prescribed HRT, a rapid increase in the last two years from around 11 percent and an increase which is continuing.
The government has accepted the recommendations of the HRT Taskforce, including encouraging and supporting manufacturers to boost supply to meet growing demand and continuing to issue serious shortage protocols (SSPs) when needed to even out distribution. This involved allowing alternative products to be dispensed when necessary, and reducing the need for the patient to return to their GP.
