Cost of gluten free foods on prescription

Summary

The request sought the cost of gluten-free staple foods on prescription for financial years 2012/13 to 2017/18, including a breakdown by patient age. The Department of Health and Social Care provided cost data for 2013/14 to 2017/18 but stated that age-specific breakdowns could not be provided because the prescription pricing bureau does not collect demographic data.

Key Facts

• The Department of Health and Social Care provided prescription costs for gluten-free foods for five financial years.
• Data for the 2012/13 financial year was not included in the response.
• The prescription pricing bureau does not collect patient demographic data such as age or sex.
• Consequently, the requested breakdown of costs by patients under and over 18 could not be provided.
• The total cost for the provided years was approximately £152,225.84.

Data Disclosed

• 2013/2014: 679 items, £9,715.08
• 2014/2015: 2669 items, £40,018.53
• 2015/2016: 2451 items, £35,955.00
• 2016/2017: 2351 items, £33,989.19
• 2017/2018: 2107 items, £32,548.04
• Grand Total: 10257 items, £152,225.8359
• Request received: 2018-05-31
• Response date: 2018-06-22
• Case ID: 477837

Original Request

Please provide the cost to the Department for the provision of gluten free staple foods on prescription for the financial years 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17 & 2017/18. Please provide the breakdown of those costs by patients under the age of 18 and those over the age of 18 for each of those financial years.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Chief Executive: Malcolm Couch Freedom of Information Team DHSC Digital Cronk Coar Strang IM4 4RJ

(01624) 642621 dhsc@foi.gov.im Website: www.gov.im/dhsc

Our ref: 477837 22 June 2018

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 31 May 2018, which states:

"Please provide the cost to the Department for the provision of gluten free staple foods on prescription for the financial years 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17 & 2017/18. Please provide the breakdown of those costs by patients under the age of 18 and those over the age of 18 for each of those financial years."

In relation to the cost of gluten free products on prescription, please see below:

Row Labels No. of Items (Primary Axis) Actual Cost (Secondary Axis) 2013/2014 679 £9,715.08 2014/2015 2669 £40,018.53 2015/2016 2451 £35,955.00 2016/2017 2351 £33,989.19 2017/2018 2107 £32,548.04 Grand Total 10257 152225.8359 In relation to the breakdown of costs by patient under the age of 18, the Department’s prescription pricing bureau doesn’t collect demographic data i.e. any patient related data (e.g. age, sex). Please quote the reference number 477837 in any future communications.

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I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely