Estrogen patches face shortages with increasing demand for menopause therapy

Source: CNN

Reported by: Ntiamoah Bernice Mantebea

February 23, 2026.

Emily Padgett has spent months struggling to obtain estrogen patches. She has visited multiple pharmacies, transferred prescriptions, and switched brands three times in the process.

For two anxious weeks in January, she was completely without them.

“There’s definitely some symptoms that I noticed popping back after I went off of the patch for a while, and they still haven’t completely gone away since then,” said Padgett, who is experiencing perimenopause.

After a prolonged period of uncertainty, she now obtains her patches from a small independent pharmacy nearby. However, each refill visit brings apprehension about hearing the words she fears most: “Out of stock.”

For many women across the United States facing intense night sweats, sudden hot flashes, severe fatigue, and other menopause symptoms, these small estradiol patches provide reliable relief.

That relief is increasingly difficult to access, as doctors anticipate further shortages ahead.

Manufacturers attribute the issue to rising demand, spurred by greater public awareness of menopause treatment and recent federal clarifications on the risks and benefits of hormone therapies.

The estradiol patch, a small square applied to the skin, delivers a steady dose of estrogen absorbed directly into the body. Estrogen levels naturally decline with age, particularly during menopause when symptoms intensify; the decline often begins earlier in perimenopause, the transition phase.

Padgett, a 49-year-old mother of two from Atlanta, went without medication for two weeks in January due to stock shortages at all pharmacies.

“It’s just an inconvenience more than anything,” Padgett said.

During that time, her perimenopause symptoms of irritability, insomnia, and brain fog returned, intensified by the stress of the shortage.

“I was definitely stressed about not getting them, and so my main symptoms were irritability and waking up in the middle of the night stressed and not sleeping,” she said. “I feel like my symptoms have still not completely gone away.”

After trying various CVS locations and Amazon, she found success at the neighborhood pharmacy. She has resumed her twice-weekly patch routine, though it now involves a third different brand.

“I’m on my third different brand now,” she said, while concerns about future availability persist.