Sunday, September 7, 2008

Support Access to Bioidentical Hormones: Join Us In National Call Congress Day on Wednesday, September 10.


Okay, menopausal goddesses, here’s a call to action from our friends at the nonprofit Women in Balance - www.womeninbalance.org. Their email is as follows:

“The estriol battle continues and we need your support.
Here's how you can help:
If you know who your Representatives and Senators are,
Dial 1-202-225-3121 and the receptionist will direct you to your Congressional Offical's office.

If you are unsure of your Representatives or Senators, you can find out who they are by entering your zip code at Congress.org Home Page
Once on the call, you may share the following points:

1. Encourage your official to support Resolution Senate Concurrent Resolution 88 or House of Representatives Concurrent Resolution 342
2. This resolution calls upon the FDA to stop their new policy of restricting women's access to prescriptions containing Estriol. This drug has been available in the United States for half a century and is chemically the same as natural estriol made in a woman's body
3. Protect women's access and preserve the choices women have for hormone therapy. Allow the continued availability of compounded bio-identical hormones like estriol that women need for quality of life.
4. Request that congress support this resolution and restore the rights of physicians and health choices of millions of American women.
5. Don't forget to add your personal experience.

Here's the background

In 2005, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals issued a Citizen's Petition to FDA urging them to stop compounding pharmacies from preparing bioidentical hormone replacement therapies (BHRT). In early 2008, FDA finally responded to the Wyeth petition about compounded hormone medicines with a set of new policies. Most critically, FDA announced that it will "halt" compounding of hormone treatments that contain estriol.

What is estriol?

Estriol is a common component of many compounded hormone treatments prescribed by doctors. Estriol is one of three estrogen hormones produced by a woman's body, and has been used in Europe and Asia for decades.

What are the Congressional resolutions calling on FDA to reverse its policy on estriol?

The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate each have resolutions-H. Con. Res. 342 and S. Con Res. 88, respectively-calling for FDA to reverse its policy on estriol. The resolutions also call on the need for FDA to "respect the physician-patient relationship" and recognize that doctors, not FDA, are in the best position to "determine which medications are appropriate for their patients." They also point out that "FDA has acknowledged that it is unaware of any adverse events" associated with the use of estriol over the past three decades.

These Congressional resolutions are a key tactic to send FDA a message that its estriol policy is not in the best interest of women's health. However, not all Senators and Representatives are aware of FDA's new policy and the effect it will have on women's health. On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the BHRT National Congressional Call-In Day will flood Capitol Hill with phone calls from concerned constituents who will urge their elected members of Congress to sign on to their respective Congressional resolution. We appreciate your support on this important women's health issue.”

Join the Venuses along with hundreds of concerned women and physicians this week. Make your voices heard on Wednesday, Sept. 10. For more background on this issue, see previous blog entries on our mothership blog at www.menopausegoddessblog.org “Help Protect Access To Bioidentical Hormones” dated June 14, 2008 and “Bioidentical Hormone Access Threatened - Act Now” dated Feb. 7, 2008. The stakes are high - the time is now.