Estrogen Patch Shortage Highlights the Need for a More Resilient Supply Chain
Women across the country are struggling to access estrogen patches, with some traveling long distances, rationing medication, or searching for alternatives to maintain access to their treatment.
The New York Post recently examined the shortage and the challenges patients are facing. Laura Bray, Founder of Angels for Change, spoke with the publication about why the shortage was predictable following the FDA’s removal of the black box warning for estrogen-based hormone replacement therapy.
“When you remove something like that, there is automatically a spike in demand,” Laura explained.
The challenge is that pharmaceutical manufacturing cannot necessarily respond to a sudden increase in demand. Laura noted that ramping up production of a generic drug can take 12–18 months, leaving patients to navigate uncertainty while manufacturers work to increase supply.
This shortage is another reminder that patients feel the consequences when the pharmaceutical supply chain isn’t prepared to respond to changes in demand.
At Angels for Change, we believe patients should be at the heart of conversations about medicine availability — and that building a more resilient, transparent pharmaceutical supply chain is essential to ensuring patients have access to the medicines they need.
““When you remove something like that, there is automatically a spike in demand. These facilities that make [HRT] are huge assets worth a billion dollars. They don’t sit idle.””
Read the full New York Post story:
Inside the scramble for HRT — as perimenopausal women get creative amid estrogen patch shortage
🔗 Read The New York Post article here or by clicking the button below: https://bit.ly/4cOi1wB
Source: Jewett, C. (2026, June 24). Chemotherapy Drug Shortage Raises Rationing Fears. The New York Times.
