As a result, more than £1.13m has been saved by women needing HRT in four days alone.

The government launched the new HRT PPC on 1 April. It currently costs £19.30 for a year’s worth of HRT prescription items. Women can buy a HRT PPC either online or in pharmacies.

The creation of a bespoke HRT PPC means women can access HRT as many times as they need across the year, easing pressure on supply. The HRT PPC cost is equivalent to two single prescription charges (currently £19.30) for 12-months of HRT prescriptions.

The government says the new prescription pre-payment certificate is predicted to enable about 400,000 women to have cheaper access to menopause support.

What is HRT?

HRT is a safe and effective treatment for most women going through menopause and perimenopause. It can help relieve menopause and perimenopause symptoms, including hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog, joint pains, mood swings and vaginal dryness.

Taking HRT can also reduce the risk of hormone-related health problems including osteoporosis and heart disease.

Website issues

On the launch of the scheme on Saturday, the huge demand for the certificate meant some patients were unable to access the website on the morning of 1 April. The NHS Business Service Authority now says the site is up and running as intended.

Maria Caulfield, minister for women’s health strategy, said: “Over 37,700 women have come forward to claim cheaper HRT this weekend alone, showing what happens when we listen to what women want.

“Delivering on our promise to make women’s health a priority comes with challenges – but it is hugely important to everyone, and I am massively proud of the work we have done.”

Michael Brodie, chief executive of the NHS Business Services Authority, said: “It’s great to see how many people relying on HRT are already benefitting from a more cost-effective way of accessing it.

“We are proud to be delivering the HRT PPC, which is a great addition to the range of NHS services we offer to help people manage their health costs.”

As of 12pm yesterday (4 April), 37,240 HRT PPCs had been bought online and 501 in-pharmacy, totalling 37,741 certificates.