Pharmacy de-medicalising of gluten free products through a subsidy card scheme – exploring views on the scheme, including impact on quality of life, perceived economic implications and potential barriers to uptake.

In Wales, those diagnosed with Coeliac disease (CD) are eligible to receive gluten-free food on prescriptions in accordance with the national prescribing guidelines. 

In 2018, the Hywel Dda University Health Board published a service evaluation report on a pilot scheme, which involved the use of pre-paid subsidy cards to compensate individuals for the higher costs of purchasing gluten-free products, in place of prescription. Following the positive findings of this report, this subsidy card scheme has since been rolled out across the rest of the health board, meaning that anyone in Hywel Dda, with a diagnosis of CD, is now eligible to sign up for the card scheme. It is now hoped that this will be extended to Health Boards across Wales.

The aim of this study is to explore the impact of the pre-paid subsidy cards in place of prescriptions for gluten-free products, barriers and facilitators to uptake, and recommendations for wider roll out. This is being explored through interviews with those in Wales eligible to receive, or responsible for the acquiring of gluten-free food for someone diagnosed with CD. Participants include individuals from all Welsh health boards to explore both the experiences of those who can currently access the card scheme, as well as the expectations of those who have not yet been offered the scheme.

The outcomes of this project will be directly used to help inform the implementation of the card scheme across other health boards. It is therefore hoped that this work will ensure that this scheme is rolled out with consideration to the needs and views of the individuals it affects.

This report is due to be published in Autumn 2024.