Recently I shared a link to Celiac.com’s post about the newly introduced Gluten in Medicine Disclosure Act of 2019 which was introduced to the House at the federal level on April 3rd. 2019. This bill serves:
To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the label of a drug that is intended for human use and contains an ingredient that is derived directly or indirectly from a gluten-containing grain to identify each such ingredient, and for other purposes.
You can read the full bill here. As a member of the Celiac Community, and an advocacy and social action professor on the side for Master Social Workers, I strongly urge you to write/call/email your federal Representative in the House and let them know that the Gluten in Medicine Disclosure Act is a valuable asset to your health. You can find your Representative by entering your zip code on this site.
To helping you in making that contact feel free to use my templated letter to my representative below:
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US House of Representatives Name
US House of Representatives Building Room #
City, State, Zip code
Dear Representative (Insert your Representative’s name in the US House here),
My name is Georgianna Dolan-Reilly (Change name, obviously) and I am an individual living with the autoimmune condition Celiac Disease (personalize as needed). The only treatment for Celiac Disease is strict adherence to a gluten free diet, meaning the omission of wheat, rye, and barley. As a constituent in your district I am writing you today to strongly request your support for Bill H.R. 2074: To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the label of a drug that is intended for human use and contains an ingredient that is derived directly or indirectly from a gluten-containing grain to identify each such ingredient, and for other purposes. This bill is also known as the Gluten in Medicine Disclosure Act of 2019.
According to the Celiac Disease Foundation approximately 3 Million Americans have Celiac Disease, an autoimmune condition that is triggered by the consumption of gluten and leads to your body attacking its own small intestine. Consequences of untreated or undiagnosed Celiac Disease, or the unintentional consumption of gluten, range from malnutrition, infertility, and anemia to increased risks of gastrointestinal cancers and dementia. In fact, there are over 200 known symptoms of the disease which can impact all areas of life. The ingestion of gluten also impacts those with Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity and Wheat Allergy, adding another 19 Million or so Americans that need to remain gluten free as shared by Beyond Celiac, a gluten free advocacy group.
To remain symptom free I’ve had to cut all gluten out of my diet, as well as my personal care products and medication. This requires a constant, sometimes exhausting, state of vigilance to check that gluten is not only in the products themselves but that there is no cross contamination such as a product being processed on the same machinery as something containing gluten (provide a personal story as you wish, and personalize as needed). The Food Allergen Labeling Consumer Protection Act, which required food labels to identify any allergens used directly or indirectly, as well as the 2017 FDA recommendation that manufacturers disclose the presence of gluten, have made this issue easier when it comes to food. However, medication remains an area of concern for those who are gluten free as there is currently no requirement that gluten be identified as an ingredient.
H.R. 2074: Gluten in Medicine Disclosure Act of 2019 would change section 502 of Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by requiring that any medication derived directly or indirectly from gluten containing ingredients clearly have those ingredients identified on their label. Such a change would close the loophole mentioned above, and provide a stringent level of safety for the over 20 million Americans who need to remain gluten free. Not only will this save time and ease anxieties, but it will also reduce the consequences of consuming unidentified gluten by accident.
Thank you for all that you do to improve the lives of your constituents on a daily basis, and I hope you will consider this another step in that direction. I strongly urge you to support H.R. 2074: Gluten in Medicine Disclosure Act of 2019. Please consider cosponsoring this bill, sharing your position in favor with colleagues, and voting for passage of this bill when the time comes.
Sincerely,
Georgianna Dolan-Reilly, LMSW
Include your address here
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Feel free to utilize any or all of the above letter. As you’ll notice, I’ve included items to change (name, address, and personal story) in bold above. Your letter should be no more than 1 page in length. The Celiac Disease Foundation has a Celiac Disease specific online petition letter you can submit as well, but I’ve found that directly emailing your Representatives in addition to doing those online letters has the most impact. Please share with me your advocacy efforts, I’ve love to hear how they go.