If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with coeliac disease, you could be eligible to receive gluten free foods on prescription. Simply select your country of residence, and, if you live in England, fill in your postcode to check if your area is prescribing.
Your country is prescribing gluten free foods*. Request your Glutafin Taster Box by clicking the button below to sign up.
* Please note: local policies are constantly updated, and issuing a prescription is at the discretion of your GP.
One of the benefits of getting a formal diagnosis for coeliac disease is that you qualify for gluten free foods on prescription from Glutafin, if it’s available in your area. But what can you get, where can you get it, and how much does it cost?
As a leading supplier of tasty gluten free foods, Glutafin has put together this handy guide, answering fifteen of the most frequently asked questions about getting gluten free foods on prescription.
We hope that you’ll find all the answers that you need here, but if you have any additional questions that aren’t covered, please feel free to get in touch with our team for expert advice.
Q. Why do I need gluten free food?
A. Following a strict gluten free diet is the only treatment for coeliac disease. You need to follow a gluten free diet to ease your symptoms, prevent further damage and allow your gut to heal.
Q. Who qualifies for gluten free foods on prescription?
A. To qualify for gluten free foods on prescription, you need to have a formal diagnosis of coeliac disease. To read more about getting diagnosed with coeliac disease, read our article here.
Q. Where can I get gluten free foods on prescription?
A. Gluten free food is available on prescription in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. If you live in England, availability varies depending on your area. Please check our postcode finder to see if you qualify.
Q. What gluten free food is available on prescription in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
A. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, you can get fresh and long-life bread, bread rolls and flour mixes, along with pasta, pizza bases, crackers and cereal.
Q. What gluten free food is available on prescription in England?
A. Where available, gluten free prescriptions in England are restricted to fresh and long-life bread, bread rolls and flour mixes.
Q. How do I find out if gluten free prescriptions are available in my area?
A. Your GP or dietitian will advise you on whether you can get gluten free foods on prescription in your area, and if so, what gluten free foods you can get. Alternatively, you can enter your postcode on the Glutafin website to check local availability.
Q. Why can’t I get gluten free prescriptions in my area?
A. In England, healthcare spending is decided by Integrated Care Boards. With budgets under pressure, some of these ICBs have decided that gluten free on prescription is not a good use of limited resources.
Q. How much gluten free food can I get on prescription?
A. Gluten free food on prescription is allotted in ‘units’ per month, according to age and gender. For example, in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the national recommendation for a woman aged 19-65 is 14 units. In England, it varies between regions, with most recommending 8 units while others recommend up to 10. A loaf of bread is one unit, and a pack of flour mix is two units.
Q. Who chooses what gluten free food I get on prescription?
A. You can decide what you order, spending your units however you choose. Just speak to your GP or pharmacist (depending on where you live) to set up your gluten free prescription.
Q How do I decide which gluten free food to order?
A. You can choose whatever gluten free food you want from the range that is available in your area. Order your staples such as bread and flour on prescription, and top up in the supermarket with treats. Glutafin offers a free taster box for you to try our range to help you decide.
Q. How do I order gluten free food on prescription?
A. In everywhere except Scotland, your GP will write your initial prescription, and this can be obtained as a repeat prescription each month. You can use our gluten-free prescription request form to help you decide what you want. Once you have your prescription, hand it to your pharmacist, who will place your order.
Q. Do I have to pay for gluten free prescriptions?
A. Gluten free prescriptions have to be paid for in England, like any other prescription, unless you are exempt on age or health grounds. Children under 16, or aged 16-18 in full-time education, and people over 60 get free prescriptions. You may also be exempt if you are pregnant or a new mum, you have certain medical conditions, a specific disability, or hold a valid war pension exemption. All prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Q. How are gluten free prescriptions priced?
A. Each different food counts as one prescription charge, so if you use all your units for bread, it counts as one charge, whereas a mix of bread and flour mix, or other products available outside of England, will each count separately.
Q. How can I cut the cost of gluten free prescriptions?
A. You can save on gluten free prescriptions by getting a prescription pre-pay certificate. This currently costs £114.50 for 12 months, and it means that you can order a variety of foods on prescription for a fixed charge of just over £2 per week, covering all of your gluten free prescription items (plus any other prescriptions you need).
Q. Where else can I get gluten free food?
A. You can buy gluten free food in the supermarket from Glutafin’s sister brand, Schar. The Schar range includes bread, biscuits, chocolate, snacks and frozen foods.
A. The availability of gluten free on prescription is changing all the time in England, so please get in touch with our friendly team for the very latest information, or if you need any other help or advice. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about gluten free prescriptions, or the Glutafin range, plus we’ll arrange for delivery of your free taster box if you haven’t already had one.
Feel free to contact the Glutafin experts on freephone 0800 988 2470, or email us at glutenfree@glutafin.co.uk.
If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with coeliac disease, you could be eligible to receive gluten free foods on prescription. Simply select your country of residence, and, if you live in England, fill in your postcode to check if your area is prescribing.
Your country is prescribing gluten free foods*. Request your Glutafin Taster Box by clicking the button below to sign up.
* Please note: local policies are constantly updated, and issuing a prescription is at the discretion of your GP.
Share this now: