Hormone pellets

Claim two: Hormone pellets are a game-changer

Subcutaneous hormone pellets – small implants designed to be placed under the skin – are appearing online and customers may ask about these in the pharmacy.

These pellets are promoted as a convenient, superior and more ‘natural’ way to receive estrogen and/or testosterone during perimenopause.

What the evidence actually says, however, is that pellets are not licensed medicines in the UK. This means that dosing levels and product quality have not been through standard regulatory checks.

One study found that adverse events were reported in 57.6 per cent of pellet users, compared with 14.8 per cent of those using licensed HRT products – with significantly greater numbers reporting anxiety, acne, hair pattern changes, weight gain, abnormal uterine bleeding and higher mammographic scores.

The key advice for pharmacy customers is that unlike patches, gels and oral HRT preparations, implanted pellets cannot be removed if something goes wrong, and hormone levels may remain abnormally elevated for many months.

Pharmacy teams should be aware that patients asking about pellets may have been directed there by social media rather than a clinician, and should encourage a pharmacist or GP review.