Menopause Hormone Therapy (HRT) in Peoria, AZ

Bioidentical hormones in Peoria: what it means

If you are one of the 26,389 women aged 45 to 64 in Peoria and have searched for "bioidentical" hormones: the word means a hormone whose structure matches one the body makes. Two hormones used in menopause care fit it exactly, estradiol and micronized progesterone. FDA-approved versions of both are sold by prescription at retail pharmacies.

Peoria has fewer OB-GYNs per resident than the country: the federal NPI registry lists 12 with a primary practice address in the city, 6.2 per 100,000 residents against 17.8 nationally and below Arizona's 14.6. With about 26,389 women aged 45 to 64 living in Peoria, that is about 2,200 for each OB-GYN in the city, before counting any younger patients.

Within 10 miles of the city there are 15 OB-GYNs, and within 25 miles 325, about 16.1 per 100,000 of the 2,013,161 residents in that radius. VevaMD is an online option alongside them: a physician licensed in Arizona reviews your intake from Peoria without an office visit, and an OB-GYN you already see stays your doctor.

"BHRT" often means compounded hormones, a cream, a blend such as Bi-Est or a pellet that a pharmacy mixes for one prescription. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, so the FDA cannot assure their safety, effectiveness or dose. The FDA also says it has no evidence that they are safe and effective, or more effective than approved hormone therapy. The National Academies, reviewing them for the FDA in 2020, called their wide use a public health concern.

Through VevaMD, a physician licensed in Arizona decides whether hormone therapy fits you and, if so, the form: an estradiol pill, patch, cream or vaginal cream, with progesterone if you have a uterus. There are no pellets. Since the pharmacy that fills these prescriptions also compounds, ask whether yours is an FDA-approved product or compounded. Testosterone cream for women and Bi-Est are compounded and not FDA-approved.

Then there are pellets, implanted under the skin at a clinic; compounded pellets are not FDA-approved. The Endocrine Society cites blood levels well above the expected range in women using compounded pellets. ACOG's guidance is to prefer FDA-approved menopause hormone therapy to compounded hormones.

Sources: FDA: Menopause · FDA: National Academies study of compounded bioidentical hormones (2020) · Endocrine Society position statement on compounded bioidentical hormones (2019) · ACOG Clinical Consensus No. 6, compounded bioidentical menopausal hormone therapy (2023) · CMS NPPES NPI full file, 2026-10-11