20 April 2017: 

Fairfax through The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, has published a story about the current shortage of oestrogen patches, a hormone replacement treatment used to manage menopausal symptoms.

With so many questions being raised about the shortage, Jean Hailes Medical Director Dr Elizabeth Farrell AO and Jean Hailes endocrinologist Dr Sonia Davison, were asked for some further advice.

With Jean Hailes for Women's kind permission, the advice is as follows:

If I use oestrogen patches such as Estradot (oestrogen only) and Estalis (combined oestrogen and progestogen), what does the shortage mean for me?

While these products are unavailable you might need to consider alternative HRT products.

How do I decide what alternative HRT I should use?

There are different options available, including a topical gel or substituting with another patch, but it's best to make an appointment and talk to your health professional to work out what's appropriate for you.

When are supplies expected to return to normal?

According to an official statement on the website of Novartis, a pharmaceutical company that supplies some oestrogen patches: "Novartis is currently undergoing a disruption in supply of Estradot, Estalis Continuous and Estalis Sequi in Australia. We apologise for the inconvenience this has caused and are working to resolve the fluctuations in supply. We anticipate a return to stable supply in Australia by mid-2017."

I'm a health practitioner, where can I find reliable information on HRT products? 

The Australasian Menopause Society has an excellent guide to MHT/HRT equivalent-dose products (Aus) and MHT/HRT equivalent-dose products (NZ) and should be consulted for further guidance as to other products that may be used. 

Although individuals often consume natural products because of their potential health benefits, a review indicates that it is not clear whether the benefits of plant-derived compounds that mimic estrogen outweigh the possible health risks. 

Phytoestrogens are compounds from plants that are similar in structure to estrogen and are found in a variety of foods, especially soy. Some women may consume phytoestrogens promoted as natural alternatives to hormone replacement therapy to help ease menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes or to protect against bone loss.

When Ivonne Rietjens, PhD, of Wageningen University in The Netherlands, and her colleagues analyzed the published medical literature, they found that several potential health benefits of phytoestrogens have been reported, including lowered risks of cardiovascular disease, obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, brain function disorders, and various types of cancer, in addition to reduced menopausal symptoms. Phytoestrogens are considered endocrine disruptors, however, which indicates that they have the potential to cause negative health effects, including infertility and increased risks of cancer in estrogen-sensitive organs such as the breast and uterus.