The FDA has not declared a shortage of estradiol patches, a common menopause treatment, even as the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists has listed certain patch products in shortage since Jan. 30 and many women report trouble filling prescriptions, according to an Oct. 18 NBC News report.
In a Sept. 3 update, the FDA said it is aware of patients having difficulty getting their usual patches because of increased demand and is working with all six manufacturers to increase supply. The agency said supply has nearly doubled over the past year and that patches remain available, although availability varies by pharmacy and location. The patches do not appear in the FDA’s drug shortage database, and patient advocacy groups are pressing the agency to declare a shortage. A menopause advocate who met with FDA officials told NBC News it is a manufacturing problem that could take years to resolve.
The FDA tied part of the demand to its removal of the boxed warning from menopausal hormone therapy products, which it announced in November 2025. An OB-GYN told NBC News prescriptions had been rising before that as menopause care became more openly discussed. Almost half of women with patch prescriptions have struggled to fill them, according to a May survey by virtual care company Midi Health. One patient said she paid hundreds of dollars out of pocket for a three-month supply from a pharmacy 25 miles away after her insurance did not cover it.
Experts advise patients who cannot fill a prescription to tell their provider, call pharmacies to check stock, try a different pharmacy, ask about alternative brands, doses or forms such as gels and report the problem to the FDA. Patients should not stop taking prescribed medication without talking to a provider, they said.
Pharmacies have been reporting problems for months. Pittsburgh-area pharmacists said in July that some supply constraints had lasted six to eight months, with patients traveling up to 40 minutes to find the drug.
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