They may grieve for the things they can no longer eat and worry about how they will cope. Management is quite simply a strict gluten-free diet for life. It may be necessary to correct nutritional deficiencies present at diagnosis, but long-term supplementation is rarely required if the patient follows a balanced diet. Persistent symptoms are rare in fully compliant patients. The Coeliac Society encourages sufferers to foster a relationship with a single pharmacy.
Dietitians welcome pharmacists able and willing to support patients in primary care.
A good pharmacist is often the most important healthcare professional in a coeliac sufferer's daily life. Sadly, research shows that many of us are not getting it right. A follow-on feature will discuss how we can best build and serve our coeliac clientele for mutual benefit.