"I spent two weeks without oestrogen patches in January and just went to pick up my repeat prescription but the pharmacy was completely out of stock again... I've given up on my local pharmacies as there are very sporadic supplies and I'm driving for an hour and a half to fill my HRT prescription.... I'm worried about the future if this doesn't get sorted ... I've been told there's absolutely none available... My sister in Australia is sending me her oestrogen gel because I'm desperate."
These were just some of the responses via the Menopause Over Martinis online forum when founder Sarah Connor asked New Zealand women to share their recent experiences of accessing hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The consensus was that oestrogen skin patches are in very short supply, no matter which part of the country you happen to live in.
Anna Fenton, an endocrinologist in Christchurch, says her clinic started getting calls from women reporting a problem back in 2020, at the outset of the Covid19 pandemic, and supplies seem to have ebbed and flowed since then.
The pandemic isn't the only reason demand for the Pharmac-funded patch, Estradot, continues to outstrip supply. Rising numbers of midlife women have been asking for HRT to ease the symptoms of the menopause transition - such as hot flushes, aching joints, brain fog and mood swings.
Denne historien er fra May 20-26 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra May 20-26 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
