Gluten Free Food Service
Refresher Training Recording 16th May 2023
The Gluten Free Food Service (GFFS) is now an Additional Pharmaceutical Service provided by Community Pharmacy Contractors who have opted into providing the service. The service is available to a patient with a confirmed diagnosis of Coeliac Disease (CD) or Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH), regardless of age; registered with a GP Practice in Scotland and not resident in a Care Home.
PATIENT REGISTRATION – eligible patients should have their REGISTRATION FORM signed by their GP or Dietician which should indicate diagnosis and the number of units that the individual can order each month. The registration form is retained in the pharmacy.
PHARMACY CARE RECORD (PCR) – a PCR should be created for the patient at the point of registration, if there is not already one existing. The GFFS section with the patient profile should be updated to reflect diagnosis and the number of units that will be required. A Pharmacist can update or amend the unit allocation if the patient moves into a different age bracket, is pregnant or breastfeeding. All other nutritional unit decisions should be made by the GP or Dietician.
ORDERING OF GF FOODS – the patient should be provided with order forms and a copy of the local formulary. Both of these can be obtained from NHS inform and GGC Formulary website.
The pharmacy team should agree with the patient on the most suitable method for receiving the order form – either on paper or by email. An interactive form is available on the GGC Prescribing website.
All items supplied should be written on a CPUS /CP4 form and then submitted for payment. A CPUS form is sent manually and paid from paper; a CP4 form will send an electronic claim and there is no requirement to print a copy.
CHI numbers must be included on all GFFS CPUS/ CP4 forms.
FORMULARY – Scottish Government produce a list of nationally prescribable items for GFFS on an annual basis. NHS GG&C will review our local formulary in line with the national list but all Pharmacists are encouraged to prescribe from the local formulary and not the national list (in a similar way to MAS).
The updated non-medicines formulary is available here.
Sweet biscuits should no longer be supplied as part of GFFS as per national guidance for healthy eating and endorsed by Coeliac UK.
ANNUAL HEALTH CHECK – as part of the service, the Pharmacist must undertake an annual health check for all registered adult patients with Coeliac Disease. Patients aged under 16 or with DH are excluded from the health check. The Pharmacist should use the PCR tool to record the outcomes from the health check, noting any care issues as appropriate. If the patient declines to attend for their annual health check or had it provided elsewhere, the PCR should be annotated to reflect this.
Second and subsequent annual health checks should be treated as a new assessment within the individual’s PCR. A hints and tips guide can be found here.
Ongoing advice and support is also available by contacting the Prescribing Support Adviser/Dietitians Team on 0141 201 6038 / 0141 201 6012.
Important documents
Annual Health Check - how to do
Community Pharmacy Participants 2021