There are definitely shortages of Estradot, I spent most of the afternoon one day phoning round chemists all over Glasgow before finding one box. But one box is 8 patches and 4 weeks.
I like the idea of the gel, it's not making me itch, it doesn't leave sticky residue all over my skin. GP has said start on 3 pumps and increase to 5 if I need it - but how do I know when/if I need it??? I am 50, and haven't had a period for 6 years as I had a hysterectomy because of fibroids. I've probably been in peri menopause for 4 years, Christmas 2018 was my first visit to the GP with "depression" when I couldn't stop crying, then again in February 2020, and then about 6 UTIs through the pandemic before the penny dropped.
My GP is happy to prescribe what I want prescribed, but it's up to me to be the driving force and do all the research. There is nobody at my surgery with a specific interest in menopause or women's health. The internet has been a godsend for information.