The quantity consumption of hormones by women with menopausal discomfort has fallen drastically after announcements of increased risk of breast cancer. This is the finding of a consumption analysis performed by the Danish Medicines Agency on the basis of data from the Register of Medicinal Product Statistics.
The consumption analysis Changes of the hormone consumption for treatment of women with menopausal discomfort
The hormone consumption has decreased more than the number of users, which indicates that the women treated use smaller doses or use the medicine for a shorter period. The hormone consumption has fallen because there are fewer new users and because many women have completely stopped the treatment. The consumption of products for systemic use (such as tablets, patches and injection) has fallen significantly, whereas the consumption of some of the products for local use (vaginally) has risen.
Moreover, the analysis shows that there is a certain trend towards use of weaker strengths for the consumption of systemic products. Women treated with hormone products for systemic use have been particularly prone to ceasing their treatment, and this development is most significant among younger women. More than 70 per cent of women ceasing treatment have been treated for at least 5 years in a row. The consumption no longer decreases in 2005. Hence, it appears that the consumption has become stable.
It appears that the announcements have been taken seriously, and the pros and cons of medical treatment of menopausal discomfort are still considered.
For further information, please contact the Statistics and Analysis section at the Danish Medicines Agency on tel.: +45 4488 9186 or e-mail: lokstat@dkma.dk.
