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Can't find your HRT in Spain? What's going on
You go to the pharmacy and they don't have it. You try another, and another. Nobody knows when it'll arrive. If you use HRT for menopause in Spain, you've probably been doing this for months: since March, some of the estradiol treatments applied to the skin have been missing, and the problem is spreading. Here's what's happening, which products are affected and what you can do in the meantime.
Where things stand
Data from CIMA, the database of AEMPS (the Spanish medicines agency), as of 22 October 2026.
| Product | Status | Expected back |
|---|---|---|
| Lenzetto (spray) | Short since 15 March | 29 November |
| Evopad 25 µg (patches) | Short since 3 September; rationed | 4 November |
| Evopad 50 µg (patches) | Short since 6 October | 4 November |
| Evopad 75 µg (patches) | Short since 18 October | 29 October |
| Estradot 25 and 50 µg, box of 8 (patches) | Short since 19–20 October | No date |
| Evopad 100 µg (patches) | No problems | — |
| Estraderm Matrix (patches) | No problems | — |
| Oestraclin (gel) | No problems | Not state-funded |
These dates are the manufacturers' forecasts, and they've slipped before. You can check any product's status on CIMA's supply problems list (in Spanish).
What happened
It started with Lenzetto, an estradiol spray applied to the skin. According to AEMPS, in March the manufacturer, Gedeon Richter, first said it could meet demand and, a few weeks later, reported that it had run out of stock. AEMPS notes that the company didn't give the advance notice the law requires. And it isn't just Spain: Lenzetto is also short in eleven other European countries, including France, Italy, Portugal and Ireland.
What came next was predictable. Unable to find Lenzetto, many women moved to other options, mostly patches, and demand for those alternatives shot up. AEMPS describes the result as shortages "in cascade": first some strengths of Evopad, the only estradiol patches funded by the Spanish public health system, and this week two packs of Estradot, a patch its manufacturer has also announced it will stop selling in Spain.
According to Newtral, Spain's Ministry of Health has classed the problem as critical.
How many women are affected?
There's no official figure. Around 400,000 women has been reported in the press, but AEMPS told Newtral it can't confirm that: it only sees packs dispensed on public prescriptions, about 25,000 a month, not private ones.
What is visible is the exhaustion. A petition started by Rebeca Marín gathered 25,000 signatures and was handed in to the Spanish parliament. Many women have spent months going from pharmacy to pharmacy, and some have travelled to other provinces to get a box.
What you can do if you can't find your treatment
- Don't switch or stop on your own. In the official record for the affected products, AEMPS states that it's the prescribing doctor who decides whether another treatment can be used. There are alternatives, but which one suits you depends on your situation.
- Ask your pharmacy. They can check whether stock is expected. If you're trying another pharmacy, call first and save yourself the trip.
- Check the status yourself on CIMA's list: it shows every product with supply problems, since when, and the expected return date.
- Talk to your doctor before you run out. If you're down to your last few doses, don't wait.
- Keep a note of how you feel if you have to go a few days without treatment or switch to another. That information helps your doctor adjust whatever's needed.
Important
Don't buy HRT online outside authorised pharmacies, and don't use someone else's: you have no guarantee of what it contains. And if something worries you after a change of treatment, tell your doctor.
What this shortage reveals
Medicines go short from time to time, and not only estradiol. But this case has exposed a deeper problem: there are few funded options. As gynaecologist Rosa Almirall put it to Newtral, there aren't that many funded medicines. When one fails, the rest can't keep up. Oestraclin gel, for example, hasn't had supply problems, but it isn't funded by the public system, at its own manufacturer's request.
According to AEMPS, the Ministry is exploring whether the makers of other alternatives will apply for public funding, and the agency is working with medical societies on criteria for prioritising who gets the available units while the problem lasts. Catalonia, meanwhile, has proposed letting pharmacies prepare estradiol as a compounded (magistral) formula if supply doesn't recover, an option the Ministry of Health has ruled out nationally on safety and jurisdiction grounds, according to El Español.
We'll keep this article updated as the situation changes.
Maia is built for moments like this. A change of treatment, a few days without it, symptoms coming back: keeping track of how you feel helps you see what's going on and walk into your appointment with information, not impressions.
Join the waitlistFrequently asked questions
Why is there no Lenzetto in Spanish pharmacies?
Lenzetto, an estradiol spray, has had a supply problem since March 2026. According to AEMPS, the Spanish medicines agency, the manufacturer ran out of stock and didn't give the advance notice it's legally required to. Eleven other European countries are affected too.
When will Lenzetto be back?
The manufacturer expects supply to resume gradually from November and through 2027. AEMPS warns that the company's forecasts haven't always held, so treat them with caution.
Are estradiol patches running out too?
Yes. As women looked for alternatives to Lenzetto, demand for patches rose and they've started to run short: several strengths of Evopad since September and October, and two Estradot packs since 19 and 20 October. You can check each product's status in CIMA, the AEMPS database.
What should I do if I can't find my HRT?
Don't switch or stop on your own. Ask your pharmacy whether stock is expected and talk to your doctor: there are alternatives, and they're the one to decide which suits you.
How many women are affected by the shortage?
There's no official figure. Around 400,000 has been reported, but AEMPS can't confirm it: it only sees packs dispensed on public prescriptions, about 25,000 a month, not private ones.
Keep reading: the full guide to perimenopause — what it is, when it starts and every symptom.
Maia isn't a medical service and doesn't replace your healthcare professional. This article is informational: any decision about your treatment is for your doctor.
Sources: AEMPS, information note 25/2026 on the supply of transdermal HRT (2 October 2026); AEMPS, CIMA, supply problems (checked 22 October 2026); Newtral, "Qué está pasando con el desabastecimiento crítico de hormonas…" (6 October 2026); El Español, "Sanidad descarta permitir formulaciones magistrales…" (1 October 2026). All sources in Spanish.