DTB questions current arrangements for supply of gluten free food

Source: DTB Area: News Gluten-free staples such as bread and flour were first made available on prescription in the late 1960s. Figures from 2011 show that the NHS in England spent £27 million on gluten-free food. With growing pressure on primary care budgets, and increasing awareness and availability of gluten-free food in shops and supermarkets, this article in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB) questions whether the current arrangements for supplying such products is appropriate.   It notes the different arrangements across PCTs for supply of gluten-free foods, but which still leaves the supply process under the control of a healthcare professional. It asks whether food vouchers that could be redeemed against gluten-free foods at any outlet could be used instead, or the provision of personalised budgets for people with coeliac disease so that the supply of food would no longer be a medical issue. Commissioners are urged to consider "redesigning services to ensure that there is ongoing ...
Source: NeLM - News - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news