Pharmac to make it easier to access oestrogen patches

Pharmac says it is making it easier to access a brand of oestrogen patches come September.

Estradiol TDP Mylan, an oestrogen patch brand funded by Pharmac, is used for hormone replacement therapy by menopausal people and some trans women and non-binary people as a gender-affirming hormone therapy.

From September, people will be able to collect up to three-months supply, Pharmac said.

Its counterpart - Estradot patches - will not be seeing the same changes. The brand had been investigated by Medsafe for lack of efficacy.

"People have told us they want to be able to collect more of their treatment in one go, rather than needing to go back to the pharmacy as often," chief advisor pharmaceuticals Adrienne Martin said,

The agency said it will also remove the current two patch per week limit for the brand.

"These changes make it much easier for people to use the Estradiol TDP Mylan brand of patches as an option, where it is right for them," Martin said.

She said the agency understood that while different brands of patches were expected to work the same, that hadn't been everyone's experience.

"Having options matters and making Estradiol TDP Mylan patches easier to use helps more people access it where it is right for them."

The Estradot brand of patches had been affected by global supply constraints, and supply remained tight, the agency said.

Due to this, Martin said it would not be making changes to the dispensing limits of the Estradot brand of patches.

"This will help reduce pressure on the limited Estradot patches stock and preserve it for people who need it."