How Some People Can Get a Gluten Free Prescription

Gluten free bread.
Photo: Kelly Gibney

Only about two percent of people with celiac disease receive a gluten-free prescription, and a third of those surveyed don’t even know about the service.

A strict gluten-free diet is the only treatment for the disease, which affects about 1.2 per cent of New Zealanders, causing a range of debilitating bowel problems, fatigue, poor growth in children and thinning bones in adults.

University of Otago research published in New Zealand Medical Journal At Friday’s screenings of the 522 patients surveyed, 127 (24 percent) had accessed prescription products in the past, but only nine (2 percent) were still doing so.

Cost and limited product range were the main reasons they gave up the diet, but maintaining a strict gluten-free diet was “challenging” and required constant vigilance, the researchers noted.

“Many foods that are typically GF can be modified to contain gluten during processing. Additionally, non-food sources such as cosmetics and play dough may lead to unintended exposure.

“This may have lifestyle implications such as worry and worry about eating outside the family home, sharing food and food-related activities at school.”

While GF alternatives were available, they tended to be more expensive, adding thousands of dollars to grocery bills throughout the year.

Historically in New Zealand, specialized GF products were sold on prescription to those diagnosed with celiac disease.

However, in 2011, these products ceased to be “actively managed” by the government drug funding agency Pharmac.

Since then, the range of products available for the recipe has shrunk until it is limited to GF bread mix, GF flour and GF baking mixes.

“The home delivery service, unique to parts of New Zealand’s South Island, was also discontinued in 2023 and all prescription products must now be collected from a pharmacy.”

Ninety percent of respondents would prefer a discount card to purchase GF products.

• Of those surveyed, only nine participants (2 percent of the entire cohort) currently access GF products via prescription.
• Of the 513 participants (98 percent) who did not fill a prescription for GF products, 127 (24 percent) had filled a prescription for GF products in the past.
• 189 (37 percent) did not know about the service
• Cost is the main reason for not having access to prescriptions, with 139 (70 percent) from this subgroup), followed by quality of products offered (25 percent) and variety (23 percent).
• More than half of respondents (54 percent) spend more than $50 a week on GF food, 13 percent spend more than $100, and 7 percent spend more than $200.
• The majority of respondents (90 percent) would prefer a discount card to purchase GF products.