🥗 Supplements
In general dietary supplements aren’t prescribed in primary care, or at least the GMMMG (greater manchester medicines management group) would prefer that we didn’t. The exceptions are often elderly/frail patients, particularly those with short prognoses as the benefits vs costs are far clearer.
Referral Pathway
If you think a patient might need supplementation, instead you should refer them to the dieticians. The dieticans will only accept referrals if patient’s meet specific criteria, although in general if you’re considering nutritional supplementation then the patient is likely to hit one of these anyway. The new referral forms seem to suggest they might be less strict about this than they used to be.
Referral Criteria
| Criterion | Details |
|---|---|
| Weight loss | 5% weight loss over 3-6 months |
| Significant weight loss | 10% weight loss over 6+ months |
| Low BMI | BMI < 18.5 |
NOTE
You can find a dietician referral form in under SystmOne Letters: Wigan CCG / Referral to Nutrition and Dietetics