Many women with menopause have been unable to get their estrogen patches lately due to a shortage.
Dr. Rajita Patil, who founded the UCLA Comprehensive Menopause Program, told KNX News’ Emily Valdez the shortage is because of a “really massive surge in demand.”
“When you look back at how much it's really increased in terms of the number of patches, prescriptions, I think it's like well over 80% since 2021,” she said. “We used to see less than 5% of people using hormone therapy.”
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
She says while manufacturers will eventually catch up to demand, those who can’t get their patches from their regular pharmacy can try online pharmacies, smaller pharmacies, or different types of estrogen to get them through the shortage.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok