Should gluten-free foods be available on prescription?

A gluten free diet is the main treatment for celiac disease, and gluten-free food has been available on prescription from the NHS. However, as finances become tighter, in some areas patients no longer have that option.

Prescriptions of gluten free food is the same as a prescription for a drug, argues David Sanders, professor of gastroenterology from Royal Hallamshire Hospital, but James Cave lambasts a costly system that frustrates patients and doctors alike. Gemma Gleed is the mother of a child with coeliac disease, who has had her prescriptions cancelled.

Read the debate:
http://www.bmj.com/content/356/bmj.i6810