15 million Americans have food allergies, 3 million have celiac disease, and an unknown number have additional food sensitivities. Currently pharmacies are not required to ask patients about food allergies and intolerences or to provide information about food ingredients in medications. We ask the Obama administration to direct the Food and Drug Adminstration to:
1. Require prescription medications be labeled for all ingredients derived from food, such as milk, corn, soy, and nuts.
2. Require pharmacies to ask for and record customers' food allergies and intolerences and check them against the ingredients in the medications they dispense.
3. Direct drug manufacturers and distributers to put in place procedures to prevent cross-contamination of food ingredients in medications.
Thank you.