The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2018

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs etc.) Regulations 2004 (“the 2004 Regulations”) to restrict the circumstances in which gluten-free foods and very low gluten foods may be ordered on prescription under general medical services contracts.

Regulation 2 of the 2004 Regulations is substituted by regulation 2(2) of these Regulations. As substituted, regulation 2 of the 2004 Regulations:

• provides that gluten-free and very low gluten foods can no longer generally be ordered on prescription under general medical services contracts, with exceptions for gluten-free bread and food mixes, and for very low gluten bread and food mixes (paragraphs (1) and (2))

• defines a food as “gluten-free” or as “very low gluten” by reference to its ingredients and its gluten content measured in milligrams per kilogram (paragraph (3))

• defines other terms used in the regulation (paragraph (4)).

Schedule 1 to the 2004 Regulations is amended to remove entries relating to gluten-free foods as a result of the substituted regulation 2 (regulation 2(3) of these Regulations).

An impact assessment relating to this instrument has been prepared and copies can be obtained from the Department of Health and Social Care, 39 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0EU. It is also available alongside this instrument on www.legislation.gov.uk.