BHRT transdermal patch shortage: are there alternatives?

Maybe you could get the prescription you need with a phone call or message in My Chart explaining the situation to your endocrinologist.

I’ve used Estrogel for years and have never had an issue with supply.

@tillymack Thanks, I did think of that. First I would need to call a few pharmacies to see if they have Vivelle Dot in stock, then message my endocrinologist. It's just that he did not reply to my message after I saw him the one time that he prescribed the patch + oral progesterone to me, so I don't have much faith that he will respond to my message...but I will try. Some docs are just interested in prescribing, it seems. He DID message me that he wants me to have a followup visit so he can prescribe fosomax (!). NO. Anyway, a friend told me about Ostaderm topical cream. She started using it for hot flashes. It alleviated some of that for her. So I'm thinking maybe I should switch from the patches + oral progesterone to Ostaderm, which had estriol, estradiol, and progesterone.

Probably worth saying that I don't want the Fosomax. A friend told me about Dr. Lani's No Nonsense bone health guide. A book. She says that Fosomax thins the gut lining. This is a fantastic book that I highly reccomend!

@gargoy I found some bits of possible help.

I am on 2x weekly HRT transdermal patches in which one alternates taking 3 days then 4 days. This keeps you changing patches on the same days of the week, which is easier to remember. I asked my doctor if I could I take every patch 4 days apart. My doctor approved that.

I use a "token" in my pill organizer (e.g. cut the word "Estrodiol" from one of the packets) and move it 4 days ahead each time I apply a patch. This only gets me 1 extra day at the end of 2 patches. But I will take what I can 🙂

I also asked my doctor about cutting a higher dose patch in half and provided the below reference. My doctor was good with it but my pharmacy is also out of 2x my dose patches, but maybe your pharmacy has 2x of your dose patches. Read the articles
https://www.medicinesinformation.co.nz/bulletins/can-transdermal-patches-be-halved/

@kfhoz Oh, very good, kfhoz! Thank you! I think every 4 days is a great idea. I'll ask my pharmacist about the 2x patches that I can then cut in half...but wouldn't you need a new prescription for that? Maybe not, if the net worth of the patches are the same as the uncut patches (half the number of 2x patches). I have been on BHRT since late January, and had fairly extreme breast tenderness for almost 3 weeks in the beginning, but now only slight tenderness. Is this a bad sign that the tenderness has not gone away completely? Should I reduce the dosage of BHRT?

Ooooo Kaaaay! After worrying for a couple weeks and trying to make plans if the worst should happen, I finally called my pharmacist, who was out for a week, and I was waiting to talk to him... and asked him if they had the Vivelle Dot patches in stock. He said they did and they've done a good job of keeping it in stock in spite of general shortages. I'm due for a refill in a week, but he filled it for me, and it's waiting for me at the pharm. I have to say that another pharmacist I spoke to a couple weeks ago had me scared because he said there are shortages, and I should ask my doctor about other therapies. He was all doom and gloom, and they probably had it in stock right then, as he spoke! And he said he couldn't give me a refill till the day my refill was due! This other kind pharmacist who had given me a consult when I first started BHRT patches was very nice and said I'd passed 75% of the time between refills, and he could fill it today! I'm so glad, and so mad that the other guy held out on me and scared me like that. I suspected that might be the case. I should just say, all's well that ends well!

Where do you live ?

@nycmusic Saint Paul Minnesota. Right next door to Minneapolis. They call us the "Twin Cities." How about you, where do you reside? Oh, NYC? I lived there for 30 years before I moved here in 2018.

@gargoy and everyone else that is on in estrodial patch. My insurance does not cover it at all so I would have to pay for it. Now with a coupon I can get it for $260 a month. Which that's awful expensive. And then you have to get a progesterone pills too which Medicare my Medicare doesn't cover that either. How do you all pay for this?????

@maryandnans Yes, I read that the FDA removed the cancer warning from HRT in December of 2025, so everyone jumped on board. Wow, where do you get a coupon to help pay for patches? I have a drug plan, which doesn't usually pay for much of anything. At the pharmacy, they said it was actually paying for over half the price of my patches. But a report on my insurance claims and coverage seemed to indicate otherwise. I pay $138 a month for the patches and about $12 for a 3-month supply of oral progesterone. A friend is using Ostaderm topical cream, which contains progesterone, estriol, and estradiol. I am wondering if I should switch. It's $32 a month. Are you happy with the results? I started BHRT in late January, and it seems fine. I do have some breast tenderness, which has gotten a lot better. My pharmacist said that it could last for 3 months, and if it doesn't go away, maybe I should go to a lower dosage. Did you have any side effects?