Many menopausal women need estrogen patches. There's a massive shortage.

Each month when Jenny Carrick calls her pharmacy, it feels like a gamble.

Will they have her estrogen patch in stock?

It causes stress, makes her wonder if she should ration (no), and if it causes her as much anxiety as her menopause does (maybe).

A shortage in estrogen patches – due to manufacturing issues and some brand discontinuation – has been exacerbated by an increase in prescriptions for estrogen since the Food and Drug Administration removed its black box warning label last fall. The shortage has left women exhausted, frustrated, and scrambling each month, calling pharmacies for the medicine they need to treat their menopause symptoms.

Some women have switched from generic medication to available brand names, costing them as much as $300 a month and not covered by insurance. Others have been forced to use a different brand of estrogen each month, leading to inconsistent care. Women have driven 45 miles to pick up a coveted box of the tiny plastic patch they place near their belly button and change twice weekly to help with their symptoms, from frozen shoulders to vaginal dryness.