Menopause Hormone Therapy (HRT) in Portland, OR

Bioidentical hormones in Portland: what it means

If you are one of the 76,319 women aged 45 to 64 in Portland and have searched for "bioidentical" hormones: the word means a hormone whose structure matches one the body makes. Estradiol, the main estrogen the ovaries make before menopause, and micronized progesterone both fit that description. Both come in FDA-approved prescription forms, from estradiol pills, patches, gels and vaginal forms to progesterone capsules.

Many products sold as "bioidentical hormones" or "BHRT" are compounded instead: mixed by a pharmacy for one prescription, often as a custom cream or a pellet. They are not FDA-approved, which means the FDA cannot assure their safety or effectiveness. In the FDA's words, it has no evidence that compounded "bioidentical hormones" are safe and effective. A 2020 National Academies review found no rigorous evidence of their safety and effectiveness.

Portland is a center for OB-GYN care: the federal NPI registry lists 365 OB-GYNs with a primary practice address in the city, 56.8 per 100,000 residents, 3.2 times the US rate of 17.8 and above Oregon's 20.4. That is more per resident than 89% of the 924 cities VevaMD covers. That is about 210 women aged 45 to 64 for each OB-GYN in the city, a ratio rather than a count of open appointments.

Within 25 miles of Portland there are 618 OB-GYNs for 2,285,947 residents (27.0 per 100,000), well above the national rate; 445 are in the city or within 10 miles. None of this replaces your own OB-GYN or a menopause doctor you trust; VevaMD adds an online route, with a physician licensed in Oregon reviewing your answers from home in Portland.

For women in Portland, a physician licensed in Oregon can prescribe estradiol (pill, patch, cream or vaginal) and progesterone when they fit your history. VevaMD does not offer pellets. Because the dispensing pharmacy also compounds, you can ask whether your estradiol or progesterone is an FDA-approved product. Testosterone cream for women and Bi-Est are compounded and not FDA-approved.

BHRT pellet clinics work differently: they place a hormone pellet under the skin in the office, and 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