At the time of writing, there’s only one form of HRT that could be described as ‘over the counter’, which is Gina – a vaginal oestrogen pessary. However this is a simplification. Gina is a pharmacy-line medication, which means that although you don’t need a prescription for it, you’ll still need to speak to a pharmacist before you can buy it.
Because other forms of HRT affect your whole body, they’re not safe for just anyone to take, and they need to be tailored to your specific health needs to make sure they’re right for you. As Gina is only a vaginal oestrogen, it means it’s safe to use for most women regardless of their individual health needs, but it also means that it only works for vaginal-related menopause symptoms, rather than cognitive symptoms or hot flushes.