Pharmaceuticals

[CarolM]

   Recently my doctor has been prescribing various medications for me.  This has led me to inquire about whether or not the meds are GF.  In the past, I've come across meds that do contain gluten, so it's a real possibility.     I've become increasingly frustrated with the process of getting this information.  My pharmacist is virtually no help at all - he claims he doesn't have the complete list of the inactive ingredients on the bottle.  The information sheets don't always have it, either.  My pharmacist essentially told me I would need to contact the company myself.  The websites for the products have oodles of information about how great their drug is, but it's difficult to find the info about what all the ingredients are.  The 800 number is typically only available during certain hours of the day and so far I haven't found one that will take an email inquiry - you have to take the time to sit on the phone.  What annoys me is that food companies are now being required to provide this information in an easily accessible format.  Over the counter meds are required to provide it also - they must list not only the active ingredient but the inactive ingredients as well.      How do major pharmaceutical companies get away with this?     Has anyone else encountered this problem?

CarolM

[the sensible celiac]

My health coverage is through Kaiser Permanente. On several occasions they have contacted drug makers on my behalf and verified that medications were GF.

These days I just ask the pharmacist if this or that medication is GF and they typically answer immediately and assure me not to worry, this seems like it might be dodging the issue, but I've been reluctant to press the matter further.

It seems reasonable to expect major pharmaceutical firms to know about common allergens and avoid using them, but like you CarolM, I'd like to see this information listed clearly on product labels.

[Sharon]

I called one drug company and their reply was "If there's any gluten in it, it would only be a small amount."  Didn't build my confidence.  And then I had the experience of being told one product was gluten free, but after three days of misery on it, I concluded it was contaminated by the packaging process.

I probably run this theme by too often, but again I like www.napervillegi.com.  It's a support group in Naperville, Ill, which has taken it upon themselves to continually call both food and drug manufacturers to determine which products are gluten free.  Then they publish their extensive lists free of charge on the website.  They don't guarantee it's perfect, as things can change, but I figure their legwork in this area is just as sound as mine would be, so I trust them.  And they update every few weeks or so.

Just go to the website and follow the links.