A global estrogen shortage undermines the quality of life of menopausal women

According to the shortage of drugs Canada, an online database that lists shortages and cessation of the sale of medicines in the country, 92 shortages and four marketing stops that affect estradiol products have been reported since 2017.

However, many women depend on this form of estrogen, frequently used in the context of substitute hormone therapy (HTS), a treatment that relieves symptoms of menopause.

These products contain the hormones that the ovaries produce less and less with age and menopause, and they present themselves in different forms: transdermal, tablets, vaginal rings, gels and topical creams.

Karen Golden remembers very well the symptoms of menopause she felt five years ago when she missed medication for her treatment ofHTS. It was not an easy periodrecalls this Toronto lawyer.

She had started theHTS Several years ago to treat sleep and anxiety disorders linked to menopause. Then, in 2020, the medication she was taking experienced a shortage.

His doctor tried to prescribe other products, but Ms. Golden was afflicted with side effects. So she decided to completely stop theHTS And his symptoms have reappeared.

Ms. Golden is one of the many women around the world who have been affected by the global shortage of substitute hormonal drugs and who have been unable to find an alternative to relieve their symptoms.

When a woman cannot take her medication, she does not work as well. She doesn’t sleep well. His mood could deteriorate considerably.

The shortages of these products also weigh on doctors and pharmacists, said DRE Shea on the show Day 6 of CBC Radiobecause they must spend more time looking for replacement solutions for their patients, which adds to the stress of an already overloaded health system.

In reality, it’s chaos for everyoneshe said.

Although Mrs. Golden stopped theHTS Due to the 2020 shortage, she was able to resume her initial treatment last year. But after only a few months, she learned that he was breaking up again.

She then directly contacted the pharmaceutical laboratory which manufactures this medication. The latter replied that he was processing orders so fair And that it would take a few weeks to stabilize the situation.

Ms. Golden did not accept this response, and after several exchanges with the laboratory, the latter agreed to send part of her stock to her local pharmacy.

However, she believes that women should not have to use such extreme measures to have access to their medication

It would help us if the decision -makers in this area knew that it is dangerous and contrary to the ethics of prescribing drugs for the physical and mental health of people, then to remove them.

A complex supply chain

Mina Tadrous, pharmacist and associate professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto, says it is complicated to determine the exact source of a shortage.

Medicines often pass through several countries and several different facilities before arriving in Canadian pharmacies, he explains.

If a link in this supply chain breaks, it takes several weeks or several months before it affectssaid Mr. Tadrous.

This is without counting that the manufacture of hormones is particularly specialized, because it involves specific chemical reactions and a careful manipulation of sensitive molecules.

The production of a drug can take between 18 and 24 months-from the supply of raw materials to manufacturing, quality control and distribution, explains Christian Ouellet, vice-president of corporate affairs at Sandoz Canada, a pharmaceutical company that manufactures a range of productsHTS.

Making a molecule is not like making bread – it’s complexhe says, stating that manufacturers must always meet strict quality, efficiency and security requirements.

The upward demand

In a written declaration, the spokesperson for Health Canada, Mark Johnson, said that when drug shortages occur, the organization works in close collaboration with manufacturers, health professionals as well as provinces and territories in order to follow the situation and examine the attenuation options.

Regarding specifically the drugs ofHTSshortages are mainly caused by a recent increase in demand, which, according to Mr. Ouellet, is Several times higher than five years ago.

Several experts attribute the rise in demand to social networks as well as a greater mobilization of women for their health.

According to aggregated data repayment requests, one of the main insurers in Canada, the number of women aged 45 to 65 who use theHTS To relieve the symptoms of menopause increased by 21 % between 2020 and 2023.

A Texte d’Althea Manasan de Cbc News