NEVER USE SOMEONE ELSE’S MEDICINE – EVEN HRT GELS

PLEASE don’t take medication from strangers – regardless of how wretched you feel. I was shocked to hear that women have become so desperate to get their hands on HRT that they’re meeting up with strangers in car parks to pick it up.

It’s due to a shortage of these drugs, which treat menopausal symptoms, in pockets of the country. Specifically, pharmacies seem to be running low on a type of oestrogen gel that you rub on the body, called Oestrogel.

Manufacturers have put the problem down to high demand and pandemic-related supply-chain issues. But there are safe alternatives available from your GP, such as an oestrogen spray. If you’ve run out and are struggling to get more, please talk to your GP or contact the British Menopause Society for advice.

And it’s not just HRT that my plea applies to. Never take any medication from someone else – even a slightly wrong dose can have disastrous consequences.