\n<\/p>\n
The demand for estrogen patches has outpaced supply, and manufacturers are struggling to catch up.<\/p>\n
Prescriptions for estrogen-based HRT<\/a> have surged, according to an analysis by health data company Truveta<\/a>. Patch use specifically increased by more than triple between 2018 and early 2026.<\/p>\n Among women ages 45\u201354, prescribing rates jumped 184%, and in February 2026, roughly 1 in 20 women in that age group had an estrogen-based HRT prescription, the Truveta data showed.<\/p>\n Several forces drove that growth. In November 2025, the FDA began removing some of the strongest safety label warnings<\/a> from certain HRT products.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it initiated the labeling changes after a comprehensive review found the warnings overstated the risks for many women, particularly those who start therapy near the onset of menopause.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cDemand for hormone replacement therapy has surged since our announcement,\u201d Makary said.<\/p>\n G. Thomas Ruiz,<\/a> MD, an OB-GYN at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, said the shift has been dramatic in his own practice. <\/p>\n \u201cAs soon as the FDA changed its black box warning\u2026 I got so many patients who are no longer fearful,\u201d Ruiz told Healthline. He added that the biggest concern holding women back had been breast cancer risk<\/a> \u2014 a fear rooted in the original Women\u2019s Health Initiative findings. <\/p>\n