Is There a Shortage of Hr T in Our Pharmacies?

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There's a national shortage of h r t, which is hormone replacement therapy. The department for health say that there's just an awful lot of demand for the product. There has been a rise in campaigning and coverage of menapor symptoms. So are companies now saying that they're going to respond to this? And if you end up with run on those other products, it's just sort of trial and error rather than solving the problem.

From hot flushes and flooding to memory problems and depression, for many the menopause can be both distressing and debilitating. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can alleviate some of these symptoms by boosting levels of hormones that wane as women get older. But the UK is experiencing an acute shortage of certain HRT products, leaving some without the medication they need. Madeleine Finlay hears from Guardian reader Sara about the impact of HRT shortages on her life, and speaks to science reporter Nicola Davis about why demand isn’t being met and what’s being done to fix the problem. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod