The FDA said the current supply of estrogen patches does not meet the agency’s criteria for a drug shortage despite growing reports from physicians and patients about difficulty filling prescriptions, according to a May 10 NBC News report.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, told NBC that increased demand followed the agency’s November decision to remove boxed warnings tied to cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and probable dementia from hormone replacement therapy products used to treat menopausal symptoms. The FDA said the warnings were based on outdated research and began working with manufacturers to revise product labels.
“The industry has been able to keep up but barely,” Dr. Makary said. “They are recalibrating their distribution and manufacturing to have more robust supply. In the interim, the estrogen patches have not risen to the criteria of being on the shortage list, but it is something to manage.”
Demand for estrogen-based therapies has increased sharply in recent years. A Truveta survey found prescriptions among women ages 45 to 54 rose 184% from 2018 to 2026 and increased 20% between July 2025 and February 2026. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists currently lists 14 brands or dosages of estrogen patches on its shortage list.
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