Abstract
To Dr. Mangione:
Thank you for your response to my editorial, as well as your personal interest in celiac sprue disease. Through my work at the University of Kansas Drug Information Center, I have been exposed to patients with celiac sprue and to the need for available information about gluten-free medications. Many times I have sensed confusion from a pharmacist or a manufacturer who did not know the impact of gluten for a patient with celiac sprue. It is my hope that the table, “Gluten-Free Manufacturers,” in the editorial will increase awareness of the disease and provide a resource for pharmacists, pharmacies, and patients (through distribution by a pharmacist) for gluten-free manufacturers and medications. The sentence “Many patients consult their pharmacists, who may or may not have the time to double-check the content of the medications with the manufacturer” was intended as an introduction to the article rather than an outlet through which pharmacists might circumvent work.
To further the education of pharmacists and to advance the profession, a yearly update of the table will be published in Hospital Pharmacy, beginning with the November 2009 issue.