Earlier this year, the pharmaceutical company Sandoz, which manufactures estrogen patches with the drug Estradot, reported problems with production planning. This would lead to a shortage of patches during the autumn. The Medical Products Agency then granted permission to import American patches in an attempt to reduce the shortage. The permit expired on August 1, and has now been renewed, but it will still not be enough.
As it looks with the information we have now, it will only cover a small part of the need in the autumn, says Eva Pettersson, group manager at the Unit for Medicinal Products Supply, to TT.
Concerning
She adds that more may come from abroad, but it depends on whether the pharmaceutical company can offer additional quantities of equivalent patches to the Swedish market.
According to information to the Medical Products Agency, the pharmaceutical company's Swedish estrogen patches are expected to be available from November. But whether it will be enough then is unclear, according to Pettersson.
Hormone replacement medications of various kinds are a type of medication that companies often report shortages of to the Medical Products Agency.
The shortage situation has been going on for a long time. Demand exceeds production. Sweden has not received enough. It only covers a small part, but Sweden is not the only market affected, says Pettersson.
Other treatments
Sweden lacks other approved depot patches that only contain estradiol. There are other estrogen treatments. In some cases, those treated with estrogen through the skin can switch to taking the hormone in tablet form. But it doesn't work for all women.
Women who have had blood clots or liver damage and women who have undergone obesity surgery, for example, cannot take tablets instead.
