Victorian pharmacists can now resupply MHT without a new script

There is an access problem with menopausal hormone therapy in Australia, and it is not new. Around 520,000 women accessed PBS-listed MHT products between March 2025 and September 2026. Estradiol patches have been in shortage under a TGA instrument since late 2024, extended now to February 2027. GP appointments in rural and regional areas can take weeks to secure. For a woman who has been stable on the same prescription for years and is simply running low, having to book a doctor’s visit for a repeat script is a genuine barrier — especially in the early days of a new product shortage, when getting an appointment quickly can mean going without.

Victoria’s Chemist Care Now program has moved to address part of that. As of this week, trained pharmacists can dispense a one-month resupply of MHT without requiring a new GP prescription, provided the patient meets the eligibility criteria: aged 45 to 59, or aged 30 or older with confirmed surgical menopause; on the same MHT formulation for at least six months; and seen a GP in the past 12 months. The consultation is free. Patients pay only for the medication.

The scheme also covers new pharmacist prescribing rights for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) — part of a broader expansion of what Victoria’s pharmacists can initiate or resupply under the program.

What improved access actually means here

This is a real access improvement, particularly for women in rural and regional Victoria. About 26% of participating Chemist Care Now pharmacies are outside major cities — areas where GP capacity is under sustained pressure and where a woman who is stable on her MHT regimen might otherwise wait weeks for a repeat prescription she has been filling for years.

The eligibility criteria also reflect genuine clinical safeguards. The 12-month GP visit requirement means this is a resupply mechanism, not an entry into MHT without medical oversight. Pharmacists must complete specialised training and consult in a private room before dispensing. The patient must have an established regimen.

For women who fit that profile exactly — stable symptoms, same product, recent GP contact, no new concerns — this is a practical, low-friction way to maintain continuity of therapy.

Both-and: the part worth watching

RACGP Victoria Deputy Co-Chair Dr Aadhil Aziz has raised concerns that are worth taking seriously. Pharmacist resupply, by design, does not trigger the same clinical review that a GP appointment creates. A woman who would have seen her GP for a repeat prescription is now less likely to have a conversation about cervical screening, breast imaging, thyroid function, immunisations, or changes in her symptom pattern. None of those are automatic at a pharmacist consultation.

The concern is not that pharmacists cannot manage a straightforward resupply safely. They can. The concern is the compounding effect of fewer GP-patient touchpoints — across thousands of women, over time — for a medication whose clinical picture can shift. Symptoms of menopause overlap with symptoms of thyroid disease, early cardiovascular changes, and mood disorders. A woman who is quietly developing something new may not flag it if her only contact with the health system is an annual pharmacist resupply.

This is the genuine both-and: the access improvement is real and valuable, and the concerns about continuity of care are also real. Both things are true simultaneously, and which matters more depends on a woman’s individual circumstances.

2 cents

If you are eligible and your symptoms are stable — same product, same dose, no new concerns, GP visit in the last year — pharmacist resupply through Chemist Care Now is a reasonable option for a one-month bridge. It is what the scheme is designed for.

If your symptoms have changed, if you are overdue for health screening, if you are not sure whether your current product is still the right fit, or if you want to switch from a product affected by shortage, a GP appointment is still the better path. The pharmacist resupply is a convenience mechanism for an established, stable prescription — not a substitute for clinical review when your situation has evolved.

The question worth asking yourself before you opt for the pharmacist resupply: when did I last have a proper conversation with a GP about how this is working for me? If the answer is more than 12 months ago, the eligibility threshold has already given you the answer.

Verdict: maybe — the access improvement is real and the eligibility guardrails are reasonable, but the concerns about reduced GP touchpoints are legitimate. Worth knowing about, worth thinking through for your individual situation.

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Sources cited

1. Victorian pharmacists to resupply MHT — RACGP newsGP
2. TGA Serious Scarcity Substitution Instrument — MHT products