The Government has announced new regulations limiting the prescribing and supply of puberty-suppressing hormones, commonly referred to as 'puberty blockers,' to
individuals under the age of 18 in England, Wales, and Scotland.
An emergency ban will be in effect from 3 June to 3 September. This ban applies to prescriptions written by both UK private prescribers and those registered in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
During this three-month period, no new patients under 18 will be prescribed puberty blockers for gender dysphoria or incongruence by these prescribers.
This decision follows the NHS's cessation of routine puberty blocker prescriptions for minors after the Dr. Cass Review into gender identity services.
Additionally, the government has implemented indefinite restrictions on prescribing these hormones within NHS primary care in England, aligning with existing NHS guidelines.
These regulations specifically target gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues, including medications such as buserelin, gonadorelin, goserelin, leuprorelin acetate, nafarelin, and triptorelin.
The measures aim to mitigate patient safety risks.
Patients currently receiving these medications for gender dysphoria from a UK prescriber can continue their treatment. The medications will also remain available for other medical uses prescribed by a UK-registered prescriber.
For further information, patients are advised to consult their clinicians. Photo by AllForBio, Wikimedia commons.