ROS strongly backs the Private Member’s Bill for the waiving of prescription charges for HRT

The Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) has today called on the Government to support Carolyn Harris MP’s Private Members' bill which aims to scrap prescription charges for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). 

The bill is currently awaiting its second reading in the House of Commons on 29 October, following its first reading in June.  The bill has received enthusiastic support from lawmakers from across different parties, including from members of the new All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Menopause, which launched this summer.

HRT is a medication which can be prescribed to women going through the menopause to relieve menopausal symptoms, to prevent bone loss and to treat osteoporosis.  The decrease in oestrogen levels caused by the menopause also causes bone loss, demonstrating the link between the menopause and osteoporosis.  Find out more about HRT and osteoporosis here.

Craig Jones, Chief Executive of the ROS, said: “We hope the government will support this important bill, which will make sure no-one is financially excluded from filling prescriptions for HRT.  We don’t want anyone to be prevented from accessing the healthcare they need by mounting charges, so we’re calling on Parliamentarians from all parties to commit to legislating for this valuable change.”