Following a concerted campaign over recent weeks to encourage pharmacies to proactively support trans youth, we are delighted to reveal that 85% of respondents to a recent survey have successfully had their private prescription for gender affirmative medications dispensed by a high street chemist.
Following the direct targeting of two online pharmacies dispensing to trans patients, GenderGP recently called for the General Pharmaceutical Council, which regulates pharmacies in the UK, to issue clear guidance to pharmacies to reassure trans youth that their access to medication will not be disrupted. The regulator said it was committed to supporting “pharmacies to make improvements so that all their patients, including transgender patients, receive safe and effective care.”
When asked to name the trans friendly pharmacies which had dispensed their prescriptions, many people acknowledged their local or independent pharmacies, as well as citing high street giants Boots, Lloyds and online pharmacies.
A significant two-thirds of respondents said that their mental health and wellbeing had been affected by recent regulatory and media activity. When asked about the main barriers to accessing gender affirming medication the responses were listed as follows: NHS waiting lists (29.3%) their GP (24%), NHS protocols (16.5%), media coverage (15.3%) recent action by the GPhC (11%) and The Tavistock court ruling (8%).
It is clear that access to trans healthcare is being impacted due to a lack of education and the spreading of misinformation. As such, we are actively encouraging those involved in trans healthcare to educate themselves. We have created various resources on our website including a Pharmacy Hub and a Medical Hub which provide access to research and evidence to support the care of trans individuals.
Our pharmacists ship medication in discrete packaging
Photo by Nathaniel Yeo on Unsplash