Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on (a) shortages of progesterone and (b) safeguarding future progesterone supply.

We are aware of an issue with Utrogestan (progesterone) 100mg capsules, which will be unavailable for short periods of time intermittently until late 2023. The Department’s medicines supply team has been working very closely with the supplier to boost capacity and increase supplies to the United Kingdom. In the meantime, we have issued a Serious Shortage Protocol which allows pharmacists to limit dispensing of this product to a maximum of two months’ supply per prescription, to help support access to available stock, and we have provided management guidance to the NHS. Furthermore, we have added this product onto the list of products that cannot be hoarded or exported from the UK.