Women facing 'increased shortage' of hormone therapy treatments in the Channel Islands

Shortages in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) medication across the Channel Islands has left women feeling undervalued and "debilitated".

HRT is used to help manage symptoms in those experiencing the menopause.

Utrogestan is a commonly used type of HRT but is currently out of stock in all pharmacies in Guernsey and is in short supply in Jersey.

In the UK pharmacists can prescribe an alternative medicine if they are in short supply, but this is not the case in the Channel Islands.

The shortage in medication has left some women unable to access prescriptions to help manage their symptoms for extended periods of time.

Victoria Oliver is going through early menopause as a result of a health condition and the drug is necessary for her to carry on as "normal".

She said: "It can be sort of a 'sorry we're not getting it till now March time', and for a lot of people that can be really very stressful.

"Also it can cause a lot of problems because all the sort of effects that you were having before you went on medication suddenly come back, which you don't really want.

"You just sort of think 'it shouldn't be this hard to get a drug that makes you function properly'."

Campaigners are now calling for more alternatives to become available, to help ease the pressures on supplies.

Trudi Roscouet, a Jersey-based menopause expert, said: "It does appear to be a constant problem.

"So at the end of the day, we need to know why is that now.

"It's a fact that women are now becoming more educated. They're demanding more information, and they're now having a bigger supply and a bigger demand for HRT, which is excellent, because it means that more women are now beginning to take control of their symptoms."

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