Introduction of free HRT will start 'as soon as possible' following three-month delay
The delay means menopausal women must continue to pay for HRT products. Picture: Anna Watson
Over three months after it was supposed to be in place, the new health minister can only commit that funded HRT for menopause care will start “as soon as possible”.
The measure was announced in October 2024 as part of a budget package targeted at improving women’s health. The pledge was for a January start.
Funding of €20m per year was allocated to cover the cost of the products but, unlike the contraception scheme, the HRT scheme would not cover fees for GPs and pharmacists.
A spokeswoman for Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the minister is “committed to the implementation of the HRT measure as announced in Budget 2025”.
She added: “The Department of Health and Health Service Executive has engaged extensively with the Irish Pharmacy Union [IPU] in relation to the practical rollout of this measure.
"The Minister remains actively engaged on the matter, with the goal to introduce this measure as soon as possible."
The IPU said it is discussing “a proposal that addresses our concerns and prioritises women’s needs while ensuring a practical solution for both the State and pharmacy". However, it said a number of “unresolved issues” remain.
Pharmacists have still not been given a full list of medications to be covered under the scheme.
This is needed due to ongoing shortages of some types of HRT (hormone replacement therapy) products. It can mean women frequently need alternatives to what is on their prescriptions.
The IPU also said a tested IT system is not yet developed that would allow pharmacists to record who has used the scheme and individual pharmacies to be paid by the State.
It also said secondary legislation is still not in place, which it understands refers to regulations to specify implementation measures.
This is required in addition to the Health Insurance (Amendment) and Health (Provision of Menopause Products) Bill 2024 passed in November.
The delay means any women requiring HRT, and not on a medical card, must continue to pay for these products.
Pharmacists in the Irish Community of Pharmacists estimated annual HRT bills can reach €1,224 per woman. It varies depending on the type of products needed.
Social Democrats health spokesman Padraig Rice said the continued delay is “unacceptable”.
“When my colleague Jennifer Whitmore TD raised this issue in the Dáil, the Minister for Health indicated that she would have an update in a matter of weeks,” he said.
“However, more than a month later, there appears to have been no movement on the provision of free HRT, which was hailed by the last government as an important step forward for women’s healthcare in Ireland.”
Mr Rice called on the health minister to outline urgently how they intend “to end the impasse with pharmacists” and deliver on the budget commitment.
“In addition, [Ms MacNeill] must also give assurances that women will be reimbursed for any HRT costs they have incurred since the start of January this year, when the scheme was supposed to be in place,” he said.
