Here at Jones Drug and Compounding, we provide services that go beyond the basic prescription fill. One of those services is patient-specific compounding, including compounded medications used as part of hormone therapy.

Lately, we’ve been getting more questions about hormone therapy, and there’s a good reason the topic is receiving so much attention.

Hormone Therapy Is Changing

In November 2025, the FDA began the process of changing long-standing boxed-warning language on menopausal hormone therapy. In February 2026, the FDA approved updated labeling for the first six products, removing boxed-warning statements related to cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and probable dementia. However, this did not eliminate all warnings associated with hormone therapy. For example, the boxed warning regarding endometrial cancer remains for systemic estrogen-alone products.

These changes have brought renewed attention to hormone therapy and have more patients talking with their healthcare providers about their options.

At the same time, obtaining some commonly prescribed hormone products has become more difficult.

Having Trouble Finding Your Estradiol Patch?

If you’ve called around looking for your usual estradiol patch and keep hearing “backordered,” you’re not imagining it.

As of July 2026, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) lists the estradiol transdermal system as an active drug shortage, with numerous strengths and products affected. Depending on the manufacturer and product, some patches are backordered, intermittently available, or being allocated.

The important thing to understand is that not every estradiol patch is unavailable.

Availability can differ by manufacturer, strength, and whether the patch is designed for once- or twice-weekly use. That means the first solution may be finding another commercially available product rather than changing your medication entirely.

That’s where having a pharmacy willing to help investigate your options can make a difference.

Where Does Compounding Fit In?

When an FDA-approved, commercially manufactured medication appropriately meets a patient’s needs and is available, that’s generally the first place to look.

But sometimes a patient’s individual needs aren’t appropriately met by the commercially available options.

For example, a patient may need:

• A strength that isn’t commercially manufactured
• A different dosage form
• A formulation without a particular inactive ingredient because of an allergy or intolerance
• Another patient-specific formulation prescribed by their healthcare provider

That’s where pharmacy compounding may come into the conversation.

Compounding allows a pharmacist to prepare a medication specifically for an individual patient according to a valid prescription when appropriate.

Compounded Hormone Therapy Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All

It’s important to understand that compounded hormone therapy isn’t simply something you select off a menu.

Hormone therapy is prescription-only, and decisions about the hormone, strength, dosage form, and directions should be made with your healthcare provider based on your individual needs.

Compounding also isn’t automatically the answer just because one commercial product is temporarily unavailable. If your usual estradiol patch is on backorder, for example, we’ll first look at the commercially available options and determine whether another appropriate product is accessible.

When available commercial options don’t appropriately meet a patient’s needs, we can work with the patient’s prescriber to determine whether a patient-specific compounded medication may be appropriate.

Don’t Wait Until Your Last Patch

If you use an estradiol patch or another hormone therapy that’s becoming difficult to find, give us a call before you run out.

At Jones Drug and Compounding, we can check what’s actually available, look at potential alternatives, and communicate with your prescriber when a change may be necessary.

And if your individual needs aren’t appropriately met by an available commercial product, we can discuss whether compounding may be an option.

That’s part of what it means to go beyond the basic fill.

This article is for general educational purposes and is not medical advice. Hormone therapy requires a prescription, and treatment decisions should be made with your healthcare provider. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved; FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness, or quality before they are marketed in the same manner as FDA-approved medications.