Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could soon be made available over the counter for the very first time.
It would mean women could be able to get the medication at a pharmacy without having to go to their GP for a prescription.
The treatments are used to treat post-menopausal symptoms including sleep disturbance, hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, low mood and anxiety.
Around 1.5 million women experience these symptoms every year, but just 150,000 are prescribed HRT medication.
But it could soon become much easier to access this medication, depending on the outcome of a new consultation.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has proposed reclassifying a tablet called Gina10, formerly known as Vagifem – used to treat vaginal dryness caused by lack of oestrogen.
Depending on the public consultation, the vaginal tablets would be available over the counter to women aged over 50, who have not had a period for at least one year.
Sexual and reproductive health consultant at Liverpool Women’s Hospital Dr Paula Briggs said making HRT available over the counter would be ‘a good thing to do’.
But she urged caution and said pharmacists and women need to be properly informed on appropriate treatments, the BBC reports.
She added that pharmacists should be able to look through patients’ medical records before advising on a treatment.
Menopause expert Fiona McKay added: ‘This is great as a short-term access point for women who perhaps can’t get their repeat prescription and need it urgently.
‘However, HRT isn’t one size fits all, it’s a very individual medication and can take a real “trial and error” process to get the balance of hormones right.
‘I worry that, by allowing increased access via over-the-counter HRT, it’s an abdication of care for women – putting the onus back on them to totally “self-solve” one of the biggest life transitions that they will face.’
Chief Healthcare Quality and Access Officer at the MHRA, Dr Laura Squire, said: ‘Every response we receive will be vital in helping us gain a better picture of whether people think this form of vaginal HRT should be available over the counter.
‘The menopause can cause unpleasant symptoms and HRT-based medications form an important part of alleviating them.
‘This is why it’s so important for us to hear what women think about this possible reclassification.’
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘We understand that for some women, menopause symptoms can have a significant impact on their quality of life, and we are committed to improving the care and support they receive.’
In October, it was announced that the cost of repeat prescriptions for HRT would be significantly lowered in England.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
