Medicines A–Z

Every medicine used in gender-affirming hormone therapy in Australia, plus the medicines commonly used alongside it — with an in-depth page for each: how it is used, what it costs, what is monitored, and where it sits for supply.

← Back to supply & shortages

Patient sightings

What people have reported seeing on pharmacy shelves, newest first and grouped by medicine. These are reports from the public, not verified stock levels — always ring the pharmacy before travelling. To have a report removed, use the feedback page (preferred) or email [email protected].

Share a sighting →

Gender-Affirming Medicines South Australia

Clear, referenced information on gender-affirming medicines in South Australia — hormones, blockers and everything that happens at the pharmacy — for our community, and the people who care for, prescribe and dispense them.

Browse medicines A–Z →Check supply today

What do you need today?

I need my medicine todaySee what is in short supply and what pharmacists report in stock What will it cost?PBS prices, the Safety Net, Closing the Gap and 60-day scripts How do I use it?Patches, gels, injections and tablets, step by step I am helping someoneWhat to know and what to do at the pharmacy

Guides

Trans and gender diverse people

Your medicines in plain language.

Overview

Clinicians and pharmacists

Tools behind the patient pages.

Overview

Family, friends and allies

How to help without taking over.

Overview

Resources

Australian bodies, guidelines and support.

Overview

ReferencedSources cited on every guide
Pharmacist-writtenBy a registered pharmacist in Adelaide
Kept currentSupply checked daily from TGA records; PBS prices monthly
PrivateNo cookies, no tracking, Quick exit

Looking for a prescriber?

The Trans Health SA directory lists GPs, clinics and services across South Australia. Your pharmacist can also tell you which local prescribers regularly prescribe gender-affirming hormones.

Supply & shortages

Which hormone therapy medicines are hard to get in Australia right now, and what it means for you.

No supply problems reported

Pharmacy stock reports

What registered pharmacists say is on their shelves right now, checked against the AHPRA register before publishing. The official data above tells you about Australia; this tells you about particular pharmacies.

See all pharmacy stock reports Pharmacists: post a report →

Seen it in stock, or missed out?

Reports from other patients about what their local pharmacy had on the shelf. This sits alongside the official data above until a verified pharmacy stock feed is in place.

If your medicine is affected

Start with your pharmacist — they can check other suppliers, order it in, and for the oestrogen patches can often supply an approved alternative without a new prescription. Filling your script a few days early, rather than on the last day, gives everyone room to move.

Add-on therapiesMedicines sometimes prescribed alongside gender-affirming hormone therapy to treat some of its effects: acne, scalp hair loss, periods that continue on testosterone, and vaginal dryness. None is hormone therapy in a different form, and none is automatic. It is background reading, not a prescription.What add-on therapies areTestosterone and oestrogen change more than the things someone is aiming for. Four effects come up often enough to have their own treatments: acne, scalp (androgenetic) hair loss, periods that keep coming despite testosterone, and vaginal dryness. Each is possible rather than certain — plenty of people never develop one or more of them — and the medicines used for them are ordinary prescriptions, not hormone therapy in a different form.Each of these has its own page in the Medicines A–Z with doses, side effects and cost.The effects of hormone therapy that are commonly treated, and the medicines Australian guidance names for each. Based on the Australian position statement, Australia's 2026 standards of care and the AJGP hormone therapy article.Micronised progesterone, which some people take alongside oestrogen, is part of feminising hormone therapy rather than an add-on; it is covered in the doses guide.AcneAcne on testosterone comes from the same mechanism as acne generally: androgens increase the size and output of the skin's oil (sebaceous) glands, and more oil means more breakouts on the face and body. It tends to start within the first few weeks of treatment and is most active in the first one to two years, often settling after that even without treatment.Australian guidance follows the usual escalation: a topical retinoid combined with benzoyl peroxide first, an oral tetracycline such as doxycycline if that is not enough, and isotretinoin — a stronger oral retinoid, usually managed with a dermatologist — for acne that is severe or scarring. The three act at different points: the topical combination clears pores and reduces surface bacteria, doxycycline settles the inflammation that follows, and isotretinoin reduces the oil glands themselves, which is why it is kept for acne the other options have not controlled.Scalp hair lossTestosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. DHT drives most masculinising change, but its effect on hair follicles depends on where they sit: follicles on the beard, underarm and pubic area enlarge, while follicles at the temples, crown and front of the scalp tend to miniaturise — the same process behind male-pattern baldness. It is slower to show than acne, typically taking over twelve months to become noticeable, and can continue for as long as testosterone does.Topical minoxidil is a non-hormonal option; Australian product information is candid that exactly how it works is not known, though it appears to prolong the hair growth phase. Finasteride instead blocks the enzyme that produces DHT in the scalp. A small case review in trans men taking low-dose finasteride found modest improvement, without the sexual side effects reported in cisgender men on the same drug, though the evidence base remains limited. It is contraindicated during pregnancy, relevant if a partner could become pregnant, and because it acts on the same pathway that drives masculinisation, some prescribers treat it as a trade-off to discuss rather than a routine add-on. Hair loss can also take over a year to appear, so waiting before deciding on treatment is a reasonable choice.

Finasteride and dutasteride are not general blockers; they are commonly added for scalp hair loss, although Australian guidance notes it is unclear whether they add benefit

Periods that continue on testosteroneTestosterone at gender-affirming doses does not reliably switch off ovulation, so periods can continue, especially in the first months of treatment. On full-dose testosterone, periods are generally expected to stop within about six months, though this varies and not everyone reaches that point on testosterone alone; testosterone is not contraception regardless of whether periods have stopped.If periods continue and cause distress, the options are reviewing whether the testosterone dose has reached target, an oral progestogen such as norethisterone or medroxyprogesterone acetate, or a levonorgestrel intrauterine device (IUD). Norethisterone is taken as tablets; medroxyprogesterone acetate comes as tablets or as an injection given every three months; the IUD is fitted once and can remain in place for several years. The IUD and the three-monthly medroxyprogesterone injection also work as contraception; norethisterone and medroxyprogesterone tablets do not.Vaginal drynessTestosterone suppresses the ovaries' own oestrogen production, and the vaginal lining depends on oestrogen to stay thick and lubricated. As that exposure drops, the tissue can thin and dry in a way similar to menopause, sometimes causing irritation, dryness or pain with penetration. This tends to build up gradually over time on testosterone rather than appearing suddenly.Low-dose vaginal oestrogen treats the tissue directly: daily for the first two weeks, then twice weekly, with product information describing systemic absorption as low enough that blood oestradiol stays within the usual postmenopausal range. It acts locally and does not work against testosterone's effects elsewhere in the body. Vaginal moisturisers, available without a prescription, are a non-hormonal alternative some people try first.References

Cundill P, Wong P, Cheung A. Hormone therapy prescribing guide for general practitioners working with trans, gender diverse and non-binary patients, version 3.0. Equinox Gender Diverse Health Centre, Thorne Harbour Health; July 2020 (AusPATH-endorsed). Accessed 16 October 2026. https://equinox.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ht-prescribing-guideline-v3-aug-2020.pdf

AusPATH (Australian Professional Association for Trans Health). Australian Standards of Care for Informed Consent Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy, version 2 (2026; the document's footer reads "AusPATH SOC 2025"). First published 1 December 2025; this PDF is dated 30 April 2026. Accessed 17 October 2026. https://auspath.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Standards_of_Care_Digital_Final_30_April_2026.pdf

Cheung AS, Wynne K, Erasmus J, Murray S, Zajac JD. Position statement on the hormonal management of adult transgender and gender diverse individuals. Med J Aust. 2019;211(3):127-33. Accessed 17 October 2026. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2019/211/3/position-statement-hormonal-management-adult-transgender-and-gender-diverse

Cundill P. Hormone therapy for trans and gender diverse patients in the general practice setting. Aust J Gen Pract. 2020;49(7):385-90. Accessed 17 October 2026. https://www1.racgp.org.au/getattachment/d0c29d2a-ee67-4ef0-a125-65c2694f3cb2/Hormone-therapy-for-trans-and-gender-diverse-patie.aspx

TransHub (ACON). Hormones — Masculinising. Sydney: ACON. Accessed 24 September 2026. https://www.transhub.org.au/medical/hormones-masculinising/

Finasteride GH 1 (finasteride 1 mg) tablets, Australian Consumer Medicine Information. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Medicine Finder. Accessed September 2026. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/medicine-finder/finasteride-gh-1-tablets

Men's Regaine Extra Strength Foam (minoxidil 5% w/w), Australian Consumer Medicine Information. ACSQHC Medicine Finder. Accessed September 2026. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/medicine-finder/mens-regaine-extra-strength-foam

Primolut N (norethisterone) 5 mg tablets, Australian Consumer Medicine Information. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Medicine Finder. Accessed September 2026. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/medicine-finder/primolut-n

Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate 150 mg/mL) injection, Australian Consumer Medicine Information. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Medicine Finder. Accessed September 2026. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/medicine-finder/depo-provera

Mirena (levonorgestrel 52 mg) intrauterine device, Australian Consumer Medicine Information. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Medicine Finder. Accessed September 2026. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/medicine-finder/mirena-intrauterine-device

Vagifem Low (estradiol 10 microgram) modified release vaginal pessary, Australian Consumer Medicine Information. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Medicine Finder. Accessed September 2026. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/medicine-finder/vagifem-low

Search this site

Every page, guide and medicine, searched in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere.

← Back to supply & shortages

Pharmacy stock reports

Stock reports posted by registered pharmacists, newest first. Each pharmacist's registration number is checked against the AHPRA register before their first report is published; after that their reports appear straight away.

Post a report

For pharmacists, and pharmacy staff posting on a pharmacist's behalf. Your name, registration number and work email (if you give one) are stored, and only the author can see them. Your registration number is never shown. The pharmacy name, suburb, medicine, stock position and note are public. To correct or remove a report, use the feedback page (preferred) or email [email protected].

AHPRA registration number

Pharmacist name

Pharmacy

Suburb or postcode

Medicine or brand

Stock position

Note (optional)

Work email (optional — only used if there is a question about your registration)

Report key (sent to you after your first approved report; leave empty the first time)

Not for promoting your pharmacy: report stock facts only. By posting you confirm you are a registered pharmacist, or are posting with one's permission, and that the report is accurate at the time of posting. Reports expire after 14 days.

Send feedback

Spotted something wrong, out of date or missing? Tell us here. Every message is read, and corrections are made as quickly as possible. The form is the preferred way to reach us; if you cannot use it, email [email protected].

Medicines A–Z

Patient sightings

Gender-Affirming Medicines South Australia

What do you need today?

Guides

Trans and gender diverse people

Clinicians and pharmacists

Family, friends and allies

Resources

Looking for a prescriber?

Supply & shortages

No supply problems reported

Pharmacy stock reports

Seen it in stock, or missed out?

If your medicine is affected

Search this site

Pharmacy stock reports

Post a report

Send feedback

Need help now?

Figure