Free HRT treatments likely to be delayed due to 'lack of planning'

HRT, including medicines, patches, and devices, offers relief from symptoms of menopause like hot flushes, mood swings, and joint pain. Stock picture: Alamy

Women have been warned not to expect free HRT treatments from January 1 in pharmacies due to a "lack of planning" to roll out the promised budgetary measure.

One GP with a special interest in menopause now expects it could take up to three months before the scheme is properly introduced.

Some €20m was allocated in Budget 2025 to fund Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) products on prescription from January. 

HRT, including medicines, patches, and devices, offers relief from symptoms of menopause like hot flushes, mood swings, joint pain, and it can even lower the risk of long-term conditions like osteoporosis and heart disease.

Women would only pay GP and pharmacy dispensing fees under the budget proposal, which was due to be introduced on January 1.

However, up to December 20 the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) had not received details of how the scheme will work.

“Due to the lack of information from the Department of Health and the HSE, community pharmacists are not in a position to provide HRT as per the budget announcement,” the IPU warned.

Pharmacists will continue to provide their services to women via the existing mechanisms. 

“It is clear at this stage that the timeline for this budget announcement of January 1 will not be met.” 

The union wrote to the department four times and met officials twice since October on the issue.

However, the union has not received “any formal response in writing" to concerns or proposals for an integrated women’s health plan.

The IPU also warned of “significant stress and frustration” facing women due to ongoing shortages of HRT.

“Any scheme to facilitate free HRT will need to be carefully planned to ensure that any increase in demand for HRT medications can be matched with supply into the country,” the union said.

Costs for alternative products vary and pharmacists spend a lot of time sourcing these products.

Dr Monica Oikeh, a GP in Cork city, welcomed the scheme but said no pharmacists in her area have information on it yet.

“Are we going to get free HRT from the first of January? I don’t know,” she said.

“Hopefully it should be sorted within the first three months of the year.” 

Optimism that reform will make a difference

She is optimistic the reform will make a difference, saying: “It could be about €50 a month it is saving the patient, that is something you can put towards your weekly groceries.” 

She has welcomed the wider discussions around menopause in recent years.

Dr Oikeh advised women: “Speak to your GP and make sure there are no other issues which could be causing your symptoms.

“The downside of the mass information about HRT and menopause now is that almost everyone is putting every symptom down to menopause and we shouldn’t do that.” 

Legislation was passed in November to ensure the cost of HRT will be met by the State. There is no age limit.

It covers menopause products on the HSE reimbursement list. 

Women receiving HRT on medical cards will continue as before.

Questioned on potential delays before the election, outgoing health minister Stephen Donnelly said the products will be free.

He added: “However, the pharmacist may apply a dispensing fee for supplying the HRT product, which is a commercial matter for individual pharmacies.”