<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

[A caveat for the following:  this is information I have gleaned from 
my personal research into this subject.  If anyone can provide me 
with certifiable information that I am incorrect, then I will be 
happy to summarize in a follow-up post.]


Listen, folks, the reason that you cannot find out whether or not 
gluten is in your drugs is not the fault of the pharmacist.  It is 
the fault of the USDA and of the big pharmaceutical companies who do 
not seem especially concerned about taking any responsibility for 
providing this information.  (And all of the following applies to OTC 
as well as prescription drugs.)

The pharmacist cannot get the information any more easily than we 
consumers can in most cases.  The inserts inside the drugs do not 
have to contain the information you seek, nor does the PDR 
(Physicians Desk Reference) necessarily contain that information. 
Typically, even calling the drug manufacturer (if it is one of the 
big ones) will not result in any reasonable information.  [It is my 
experience that most pharmacists do not even know that all 
ingredients are not necessarily disclosed in the inserts or PDR.]

That said, there is a bit of a silver lining to the information I've 
written below, and that is the VAST MAJORITY OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS 
ARE GLUTEN-FREE.  Also, given the rigorous laboratory conditions 
under which drugs are produced, it is unlikely for there to be 
cross-contamination issues from other products.

It is far more the exception than the rule for a drug to contain 
gluten, though it can happen.  And, especially if you plan on taking 
a drug for a long period of time ("the rest of your life" would 
certainly qualify), it seems reasonable to find out as much as 
possible with regard to whether or not the drug is gluten-free.

There is an excellent list of drugs, researched for gluten -- 
mentioned here on this list many times.  Before you panic about 
anything, consult this list:  http://glutenfreedrugs.com/

If you find the drug you want to take on that list, it has been 
researched to be gluten-free.  However, if you cannot find the drug 
you are taking on that list, it is time for you to gird your loins 
and proceed forward knowing the following.

Do not be misled into thinking that the laws that govern food labels 
are the same as laws that govern pharmaceuticals.  There are NO 
requirements for drug companies to provide information either on the 
label, in the drug insert, in the PDR or upon verbal request 
regarding gluten (wheat or otherwise).  Consumers simply do not seem 
to "get" this.  Because it involves drugs, they seem to automatically 
believe that everything would be required to be disclosed.  So 
wrong!!  The best a large drug company can usually do is tell you 
that the "original" formulation of a given drug did or did not 
contain gluten.  However, if changes are made to that drug 
formulation along the way, they are not required to even KNOW about 
it unless it involves changes in the DRUG itself, not the substrate 
or capsule that carries the drug.

Large, mega-$billion pharma companies basically currently make it a 
practice of NOT providing this information, without a bunch of 
caveats, for most of their drugs -- whether to the public or to the 
pharmacists.  And the reason is that (1) they are not REQUIRED by the 
FDA to disclose gluten (not even wheat) and (2) they job out the 
manufacture of most of their drugs to many, many smaller labs, which 
are also not required to provide information about gluten and other 
ingredients (other than the actual medicine portion of the pill). 
So, when you call a drug company and get a lot of double talk, and 
CYA-rhetoric, this is why.  It is also why reading the insert or 
looking the drug up in the PDR can mean nothing, if you are looking 
for gluten information.

A bit ironically, we (just consumers with celiac) can often find out 
real information about many GENERIC drugs -- but only by directly 
calling the specific lab that produces the drug you are researching. 
Many of these smaller labs still produce the drugs themselves 
in-house, and they know exactly what goes into them.  And they are 
happy (if not proud) to provide this information.

So, quit ripping off the heads of your pharmacists because you are 
frustrated with this situation.  If you want to vent and change 
things, write to your senators and congress reps!  Why shouldn't drug 
companies comply with the same (or, I might say, BETTER) allergen 
laws that govern our foods?

It is ridiculous to me that drug companies get away with so much at 
just about every turn, when food manufacturers like Kraft can provide 
information about gluten on the far more complex and greater number 
of products they produce.  (Don't get me started on Medicare-D and 
the drug companies, or all of you really will take me for a 
conspiracist!)

* All posts for product information must include the applicable country *
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC