Background: On 2 October 2024, it was announced that a ‘€35 million women’s health package including provision of free Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)’ (1) (oestrogen replacement therapy) can be expected from January 2025 as part of an expansion of Irish health services. As these medications have increased in use in recent years, it is important that patients understand how to use them correctly. Oestrogen-based therapy includes a transdermal gel formulation. These delivery systems pose potential patient issues with regard to use and application – loss of product on application, insufficient drying time, suboptimal pump actuation can all result in variable or submaximal dosing. Incorrect application method or placement may pose absorption issues or other health risks (breast cancer) (3).
Hypothesis: there is differing advice available in terms of drying times, method application, and locations for application of transdermal gel-based oestrogen replacement therapy. This has the potential to pose patient issues.
Aim: to establish the extent and nature of patient understanding of use and application of transdermal gel-based HRT, and to investigate potential means to address misunderstandings.
Objectives:
– To determine if patients know how to use transdermal gel-based HRT correctly.
– To determine the source of any errors or misunderstanding.
– To devise an aid for counselling/patient information clearly showing how to use these products specifically aligned with licensed information available for patients, with vision and literacy issues in mind.
Methodology:
– Patients in a community pharmacy and in menopause support groups on social media will be invited by a gatekeeper (university invite, or counter assistant in pharmacy), to partake.
– Qualitative interviews will be conducted, via phone or online video.
– Thematic analysis of responses will be undertaken (2) using QDA Miner Lite.
– Details will be used to guide the development of counselling aid.