HHS Is Working on Estradiol Patch Access. Here Is What It Means for You

A meeting about the patches women can't fill

This week HHS said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met with manufacturers, distributors, physicians and pharmacy leaders to understand the problems women are having getting estradiol patches. HHS described two goals: more reliable access to the patches themselves, and helping physicians understand other viable options and how to prescribe them. It called the meeting the start of a longer conversation.

If you have stood at a pharmacy counter this year and been told your patch is not in stock, that is welcome news. Here is how we got here, and what you can do while supply catches up.

How we got here

On November 10, 2025, HHS announced that boxed warnings about cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and probable dementia would come off menopausal hormone therapy labels. The boxed warning for endometrial cancer stays on systemic estrogen-alone products. The updated labeling recommends starting systemic hormone therapy within 10 years of menopause or before age 60.

More women began talking with their prescribers about hormone therapy, and demand for estradiol patches rose faster than supply could keep up in many places. Patches are made on specialized equipment, so production does not scale overnight.

Where patches stand today

Patches have not been declared in shortage. The most recent federal update, on September 3, 2026, said patches remain available and that all six manufacturers are working to increase supply. In practice, a particular brand or strength can still be hard to fill at a given pharmacy. We explain the gap between those two things in why your estradiol patch is hard to find.

If you use an estradiol patch

• Do not stop or change your therapy on your own. Talk with your prescriber first.
• Ask your pharmacy to check other brands and strengths. Another manufacturer's patch may be available.
• Ask your prescriber about the options. These may include a different manufactured product or a compounded preparation made for you. Our page on estradiol patch alternatives explains what a compounding pharmacy can prepare, including estradiol and Bi-Est (estradiol with estriol) as a hypoallergenic cream or in an olive oil base topical.

We do not make patches. A compounded topical is a different dosage form, applied as your prescriber directs, and whether it suits you is their decision.

If you prescribe

HHS's second goal, helping physicians understand other options and how to prescribe them, is where a compounding pharmacy can help. A compounded prescription describes the preparation itself: the hormone, the base, the strength, the quantity and the directions, plus the patient-specific reason for the compounded version. Our guide to prescribing compounded estradiol walks through each part, and our pharmacists are glad to talk it through before you write.

If you run a women's health or telehealth clinic

Demand for menopause care is growing, and so is the need for a pharmacy that can keep up. We are licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with a 48-hour compounding time on most preparations; shipping time is additional. Read about our hormone therapy fulfillment, or start clinic onboarding when your team is ready.

Compounded preparations are not reviewed or approved by the FDA for safety or efficacy. This article is general information and is not medical advice; decisions about your therapy rest with your prescriber.