Womens health

The true impact of the UK’s hormone replacement therapy shortages

More than 18 months of hormone replacement therapy product shortages have had a drastic impact on the lives of people who rely on them, but nobody seems to know why they are happening.…

Refusing to supply emergency hormonal contraception undermines our profession — no pharmacist should do it

Allowing personal beliefs to prevent patients accessing emergency hormonal contraception goes against the patient-centred care standards that pharmacists should uphold.…

Warnings over macrolides in early pregnancy after research shows risk of birth defects

Macrolide antibiotics should be used “with caution” in early pregnancy, researchers who found an associated increased risk of major birth defects have warned.…

Asthma exacerbations during pregnancy linked to birth complications

Women with asthma who experience exacerbations during pregnancy are more likely to have birth complications than women with well-controlled asthma, a study published in the European Respiratory Journal has suggested.…

Useful look at the wider societal effects of the contraceptive pill

How the Pill Changes Everything: Your Brain on Birth Control by Sarah Hill…

What my surgical menopause can teach pharmacists about HRT

Lucy Skea had a surgical menopause at the age of 39 years; here’s what she thinks pharmacists should know to support patients considering hormone replacement therapy.…

Is hormone replacement therapy worth the risks?

The risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have long been the source of confusion and controversy. Here we summarise the latest evidence to assist pharmacists in supporting patients thinking about HRT.…

Clear guide to managing the menopause and using HRT

Menopause: All you need to know in one concise manual by Louise Newson…

MHRA advises vigilance after study links HRT with increased risk of breast cancer

Women who use hormone replacement therapy to treat symptoms of the menopause should be vigilant for signs of breast cancer, even after stopping HRT, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has advised.…

HRT stock update shows that supply problems are set to continue into 2020

The Department of Health and Social Care has said that six hormone replacement therapy products will be out of stock for the foreseeable future, with others facing ongoing problems well into 2020.…