Women quick to dump HRT

By NATASHA HARRIS

The number of women using hormone replacement therapy has dropped by more than a third since the middle of last year, Pharmac figures show.

For the seven months from July, the number of funded prescriptions has fallen 36 per cent, reflecting the concerns of women after an American study revealed that HRT significantly increased the risk of breast cancer, heart disease and blood clots.

During July, a staggering 12 per cent of patients came off the drug and in the four months to October, nearly 24,000 women ended the hormone treatment.

In 2001, 194,520 prescriptions were written for HRT in New Zealand.

Pharmac medical director Peter Moodie said although HRT user numbers had been reducing since early 2001, the huge drop showed that women had taken notice of the American study.

"People are now looking very closely to see whether they really need to be on it. I think the most important thing is a well-informed public who are asking good questions of their doctors.

"We want to make sure that we continue to encourage women and their doctors to discuss the issues," Dr Moodie said.

The American study examined 16,608 postmenopausal women using HRT and revealed that the treatment raised the number of strokes by 41 per cent, heart attacks by 29 per cent and breast cancer by 26 per cent.

HRT is used to relieve hot flushes and mood swings - symptoms common in menopausal women - and to help prevent osteoporosis.

Women's health advocate Sandra Coney said she was pleased that the message had got out that hormone replacement therapy was not safe.

She was responsible for sending out 90,000 information cards on HRT and has recently - with the Consumer Advisory Committee - unsuccessfully tried to get warning labels on HRT prescriptions.

Dr Moodie said Pharmac would continue to "encourage the dissemination of guidelines" from the Consumer Advisory Committee.