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<p>No specific assessment on trends has been made. The demand for hormone replacement
therapy (HRT) has been increasing over time. Total use of HRT across the four main
product categories (orals, gels, patches and pessaries) has increased to nearly 800,000
patients each month, and the rate of increase has accelerated post-lockdown. Since
the end of the last lockdown, nearly two years ago, monthly patient numbers in these
categories have more than doubled (108% increase).</p><p>The increase in demand for
HRT is likely to be due to a range of factors, including media and parliamentary campaigning,
increased public awareness, and Government interventions aimed at improving access
to menopause care and HRT. This includes the introduction of the HRT prescription
prepayment certificate (PPC) to improve access to HRT. It enables women to pay a one-off
charge equivalent to two single prescription charges, currently £19.30, for all listed
HRT prescriptions for a year. Between the launch on 1 April and 14 June, there were
253,445 applications for the HRT PPC.</p><p>Menopause is a priority within the Women’s
Health Strategy and the Government and National Health Service are implementing a
programme of work to improve access to menopause care so that all women can access
the support they need, including HRT.</p>
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