The Ministry of Health has taken several effective steps to ensure safe and therapeutically effective access to treatment for this group of patients.
Thanks to the new redistribution of gluten-free foods into two sub-groups of food and raw materials, the Celiacs will have a simpler choice of these types of dietetic foods. They will be able to choose any combination of raw materials and food within two limits, compared to the previous five. Until now, the patient has been entitled to 10 kg of dietary raw materials and food per month, after a new health insurance company pays him 10 kg of dietary raw materials and about 1.9 kg of food.
In the new categorisation of dietetic foods valid from 1.10. 2024, we have redistributed the so-called quantitative limit L2 for gluten-free raw materials (flour, breadcrumbs, grits) and the L3 for gluten-free foods (breads, pasta). The patient in the pharmacy, after a new prescription, is sufficient two instead of five, which he had to submit to the pharmacist so far to be covered by a range of public health insurance. A smaller number of recipes will also facilitate work for medical and medical care providers.
MZ SR records a number of patient stimuli that pointed to the lack of quality of packaged durable bread (e.g. mold). The patient is safest if he prepares food from fresh ingredients in the home environment, which is also economically more efficient.
According to current legislation, dietetic foods in fixed-dose form, excluding powder and granules, may be included in the list of categorised dietetic foods. The list of categorized dietetic foods lists bread and pasta that entered before 2018, and for some, such as pasta, manufacturers are no longer able to meet the needs of patients with celiac disease due to the cessation of production, i.e. they only sell them.