Dear all, I am new to the forum. I have coeliac disease and I would like to know more about food on prescription. I have been to the gp and I have been told that to have food on prescription I have to download a list of available products from coeliac uk (thing that I have done just now!) and choose what I would like. But what happens next? Have I to take another appointment with the gp to get the actual prescription? Also, how do I know which of the products on the list are available in my area (WestYorkshire)? Is there another form I have to fill in? I tried to find something more on google, but I couldn't find any further info. Hope someone can give me advice. Thank you.
How unhelpful of your GP to only give you part information! In my area there is a pharmacy-led prescription service so I don't have to take up GP time with my prescriptions. I get a form from the pharmacy, fill in what I want, give it to them and then the food is usually in within 24 hours. They gave me a list of all the foods available on prescription when I first went in and I have put this into a file on my computer so I have it for future reference.
Unless you are entitled to free prescriptions, you may want to look into the annual prescription service as it is far more cost-effective than paying for each prescription. It was explained to me when I first got food on prescription that each foodstuff classes as one prescription - so if you use up your points allowance on just bread that is one prescription but if you decide to mix it up a bit and have four different things (e.g. bread, flour, crackers, pizza bases) that counts as four prescriptions. Hence it being better to get the pre-paid annual thing.
Hope that helps you in some way. Sorry to hear you've not been guided through this properly by your GP although it seems pretty par for the course as neither was I! Don't forget you can also join Coeliac UK and they have a helpline you can call for advice and information when you get stuck. I found them hugely helpful last year when I was first diagnosed
Thank you for the information and advice
Hi, I have been on that GF diet for loast 3 years. One of my GPs (the first one) was able to prescribe me a lot of pasta, bread which you can store for like 3 months (yucky).vanilla cookies, pizza bread. All of this products tasted horrible and it was hard when prepared. The second GP after I moved does not to much choice (he is not allowed to prescribe to much and little choice). However, the pharmacy after you have this GP prescribtion work with a bakery outside of London and the bakery only deliver fresh goods (bread, bread rolls, etc), but in big amount only. Where can people store it? no space in the freezer for 16 bags of bread slizes bags, even not for 8. I still get some pasta from them, but I started cooking and baking from scratch by myself and make only as little as I need. Plus, is so much tastier. So, it realy depens on GP. What is sad is that GPs do not prescribe us cereals (upto £3 cereals a box - realy expensive), corn or potato or rice flour, and anything what we need. All the stuff is extremely expensive. SORRY. Speak to your GP and try and try and try which brand do you like best, because mostly GF food taste like newspaper and it is hard like a shoe sole.
Jana