June 5th 2024

By Ailsa Colquhoun

New restrictions on GnRH analogue prescriptions

New regulations have come into force restricting the prescribing and supply of puberty-suppressing hormones.  This follows the Cass Review into gender identity services.

From June 3, it becomes a criminal offence to supply gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues (buserelin, gonadorelin, goserelin, leuprorelin acetate, nafarelin or triptorelin) on NHS prescriptions to patients under the age of 18 years, except in some circumstances.

Also from 3 June 2024 dispensaries across GB will no longer be able to dispense new private prescriptions, dated on or after 3 June 2024 for GnRH analogues from the EEA or Switzerland for anyone under 18 years old.

From 26 June 2024 GPs in England will only be able to supply prescriptions for GnRH analogues in the following circumstances:

• The patient is aged 18 years or over
• The patient is under 18 years old, and the purpose of the prescription is for a medical condition other than gender incongruence or gender dysphoria
• The patient is under 18 years old and has started treatment with these medicines, and for these purposes they will be treated as having started treatment if they have been issued with a prescription for these medicines since 3 December 2023, even if they have not yet started taking the medicines.