I am wanting to start a petition to be prescribed metformin free of charge for women who are diagnosed with PCOS.

I myself have been diagnosed with PCOS and this effects my everyday life physically (due to weight gain) and mentally (due to hormone imbalances that can trigger anxiety, depression and low moods). I started taking metformin around 1 year ago and the benefits due to taking metformin have been incredible (mentally and physically). When I arrived to pick my prescription up the pharmacist said “no one has to pay for metformin” but as there wasn’t a ‘box to tick’ I had to pay full price for this medication when in fact I rely on this medication day to day and the benefits of this medication is the same as someone who is diagnosed with diabetes.

    This is the only readily available medication to help women who suffer with PCOS and it would be fantastic to be able to change a policy and allowing PCOS to be a reason to gain the medication we so desperately NEED.

Studies

Use of Metformin in women with PCOS. There have been several studies looking at the use of Metformin in women with PCOS and the majority have shown that Metformin can make periods more regular and improve fertility in women with PCOS. The use of Metformin may also make weight loss easier. Finally, it may also help reduce hirsutism (unwanted hair growth)

All the evidence is that Metformin is safe in pregnancy and recent studies have shown that taking it up to 12 weeks of pregnancy may reduce the risk of miscarriages.

What is PCOS?

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos/