1. United States
2. Minn.
3. Letter

Fund financial incentives for manufacturers to increase estrogen patch production and address this shortage now. A Midi Health survey of nearly 8,000 women found that 44% reported difficulty filling their prescriptions, and 34% said the shortage was impacting their well-being. Women are driving to different counties and states just to find patches. I have a Premature Ovarian Insufficiency diagnosis, which means I critically need estrogen to protect my brain and heart health. This is not a lifestyle medication. For people like me, going without patches is a medical emergency, not an inconvenience. The shortage traces directly to the FDA's November 2025 removal of the black box warning on hormone therapies for menopause. That decision was the right call, backed by 20 years of research, but the FDA didn't account for the supply chain. As Eugene Schneller, a supply chain professor at ASU's W. P. Carey School of Business, put it: "Health care pays for efficiency, but rarely for preparedness." Regulatory flexibility and targeted financial incentives could fix this fairly quickly. Constituents are rationing medication and scrambling through online pharmacies. Prioritize this shortage and push for the incentives that will get patches back on shelves.