Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 November 2024
1252. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if provision has been made within the recent Budget announcement for women who are required to take hormone blocking medication such as zoladex and letrozole as part of their cancer treatment, in the same manner that provision has been made for women to receive free HRT; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45128/24]
View answerIn Budget 2025, I was able to secure a €20 million allocation for the introduction of a state-funded Hormone Replacement Therapy measure for women experiencing symptoms of menopause. This measure will come into effect in January 2025 and will mean that where a women has received a prescription for HRT for the treatment of her menopause symptoms by her healthcare provider, the State will meet the cost of those medications or products. This will cover medications and products on the HSE Reimbursement List.
At present, the current provision is for free HRT products for the treatment of menopause symptoms as this is the most commonly used treatment for managing menopausal symptoms and has shown to be the most effective intervention.
It is important to acknowledge that there are women who are contraindicated for the use of HRT in treating their menopause symptoms, and there are women who choose not to take HRT in some instances. In these cases, it is important to discuss options with a GP, or in some cases an oncologist, to decide the best course of action for the treatment of these symptoms.
Some women experiencing more complex symptoms, including those who are contraindicated for the use of HRT, may be referred to one of our Specialist Menopause Clinics for continued care free of charge.
