Sajid Javid knew about HRT shortage last OCTOBER but ignored warnings because ‘all people wanted to talk about was Covid’, drug maker claims
Sajid Javid ignored warnings about HRT shortages last year because the Government was too fixated on Covid, a drug manufacturer has claimed.
Supplies of the most popular HRT gels have been short for months, which has left the most desperate patients rationing prescriptions or turning to the black market.
Campaigners and MPs claim the problem a lack of forward planning by the Government — but ministers blame manufacturing issues caused by the pandemic.
London-based firm Theramex, which makes hormone replacement therapy gels, said it warned the Department of Health about the impending crisis last October .
Tina Backhouse, the company’s UK general manager, told The Telegraph: ‘We did speak to the Department of Health about it, about how to [fix this issue in October].
‘But the problem was, all people wanted to talk about then was Covid.’ A second email this February — when shortages started to hit — also fell on deaf ears, she said.
A national shortage of Oestrogel, the most popular HRT drug used by around 30,000 women, is driving the crisis.
Manufacturers have said the issue could be fixed in days if NHS red tape is cut to allow GPs to prescribe alternative products.
Currently HRT drugs are approved at a local rather than national level, which has created a ‘postcode lottery’.
Sajid Javid ignored warnings about HRT shortages last year because the Government was too fixated on Covid, a drug manufacturer has claimed
There were about 512,000 NHS prescriptions written for ‘female sex hormones and their modulators’ in England in February, the latest official data shows, compared to 265,000 in March 2017. Many of these will be HRT medications but some may include other female hormone drugs such as contraceptives
A national shortage of Oestrogel (left), the most popular HRT drug used by around 30,000 women, is driving the crisis. Bijuve (right), manufactured by Theramex, is considered an alternative to Oestrogel. However, it is only available in Oxford, Somerset and Norfolk
Bijuve, manufactured by Theramex, is considered an alternative to Oestrogel. However, it is only available in Oxford, Somerset and Norfolk.
NHS formulary committees — which decide which drugs can be available at a local level— are ‘two years behind’ approving new medicines, Ms Backhouse said.
She claimed current shortages ‘could have been avoided’ if her emails were not ignored.
Moves to increase manufacturing capacity now or add to the national list will take time to be implemented, while thousands of women continue to suffer symptoms without effective medication, she claimed.
Ms Backhouse warned Increasing manufacturing capacity takes time and companies like Theramex and others producing alternatives to Oestrogel cannot increase output instantly.
‘It’s not just like, “oh add another line on and we have 1,000s more next week”, it doesn’t work like that,’ she added. ‘That’s not the short term fix.’
The Government last week instilled a former Covid Vaccine Taskforce chief as the new HRT tsar to get a grip on the crisis.
Madeleine McTernan’s first move was to introduce a three-month prescription limit on Oestrogel and two other popular brands to ration supplies.
Madelaine McTernan (pictured) has been appointed the new HRT tsar and will spearhead efforts to deal with shortages of the medicine.
Manufacturers of alternatives say they are only now being called in to a meeting with Mr Javid and Ms McTernan.
Besins — the manufacturer of Oestrogel — announced last week it will not be able to increase supply to meet demand for another month at least.
The number of women seeking the rub-on treatment, which works by enabling the hormone oestrogen to be absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin, has rocketed to around 30,000 — double the amount a year ago.
The company said it is aiming to meet growing demand — but will not be able to do so until June at the earliest.
MailOnline on Monday revealed British sellers are charging up to four times the NHS price for the drug on eBay as they cash in on a national shortage.
