Canada Registry Logs 92 Estradiol Shortages Since 2017
The Drug Shortages Canada database has recorded 92 shortages and four discontinuations of products containing estradiol since 2017, covering transdermal patches, pills, vaginal rings, topical gels and creams.
What the Canadian registry shows
Estradiol is the form of estrogen most commonly used in menopausal hormone therapy formulations tracked on WomensHealthPrices.ca, including estradiol patch pricing, estradiol gel pricing, and oral estradiol pricing. According to the count reported by CBC, the Canadian shortages database has logged 92 supply shortages and four discontinuations of estradiol-containing products since 2017.
Health Canada, in a written statement cited in the same CBC report, indicated that hormone replacement medications were generally available in Canada at the time of publication, with the exception of estrogen/progestin patches, and estimated an end date for that shortage of July or August.
How Health Canada classifies shortages
Health Canada notes that at any given time, drug manufacturers are legally required to report anticipated and actual drug shortages and discontinuations on the federal shortage reporting website. When a shortage has the potential to pose significant risk to patients and the health-care system, the Health Product Shortages Directorate convenes a Tier Assignment Committee to determine whether a shortage is Tier 3, which is the most serious level.
The federal regulator states that mitigation options include using regulatory powers to allow drugs labelled and approved for other markets to be imported into Canada, fast-tracking regulatory reviews, and extending shelf life where suitable data exists.
CPhA guidance for pharmacists
The Canadian Pharmacists Association currently lists menopausal hormone therapy among the shortages it is actively monitoring, describing supply challenges affecting some estrogen products in Canada, including patches and Premarin vaginal cream. CPhA states that increased demand for menopausal hormone therapy products, combined with manufacturer disruptions, has contributed to intermittent shortages of some products, while alternative products remain available.
CPhA also notes that between 1,500 and 2,000 drug shortages are active in Canada at any given time. Spironolactone, tracked on this site under spironolactone pricing pages, is separately listed among the current shortages CPhA is monitoring.
Product categories affected
The 92 shortages logged in the Canadian registry since 2017 span multiple estradiol formats:
- Transdermal patches
- Oral pills
- Vaginal rings
- Topical gels
- Creams
Product pages on WomensHealthPrices.ca that correspond to these categories include vaginal estrogen pricing, Premarin pricing, and progesterone pricing. Consumers looking for provider-level comparisons can also review online menopause treatment platforms and provincial Ontario coverage pages for formulary status.
Context for Canadian consumers
Health Canada emphasizes that decisions on which medications to prescribe are made by health-care providers together with patients, and that during a shortage patients should consult their pharmacists and doctors about other potential options. The federal Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee on Drug Shortages, established in 2012, brings together industry associations, federal, provincial and territorial governments, and health-care professional associations to coordinate mitigation efforts.
Additional coverage of Canadian menopause and dermatology medication supply issues is available on our women's health news page and through the main price comparison tool.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
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