This discussion will contain a log of changes that have been made to the dataset. With the most current notice also being promoted on the dataset description page.

4 December 2024:

Important Update: Changes Coming to the Contractor Details Dataset

We want to let you know that the existing Contractor Details dataset will soon be updated. If you currently use this dataset, please be aware that changes are coming that may affect your usage.

To learn more about what’s changing, read our pre-publication article: Coming Soon: Updated Contractor Details Dataset.

Sounds great. So this is expected to apply from the December dataset? Meaning, the one that will be called "December 2024" rather than the "November 2024" which was released a week ago?

Hi Oliver, Thank you for your comment. I can confirm that the first updated dataset will feature November 24 data. There will be a clear distinction between the new and existing data for November 24 and there will also be a note under the new November 24 file to confirm that this features the updated/new fields. Kind regards, Kate Data and Insight Analyst

2026-04-10: Corrected file uploaded for March 2026

Due to a technical issue, the data columns in the originally uploaded March 2026 file were presented in the incorrect order and did not match the column headings.

2026-05-18: March 2026 data file re-ran and corrected to remove closed pharmacies that should not have appeared in the dataset.

2026-05-18:

Dataset Description changed from:

The Contractor Details dataset is published monthly and contains a list of pharmacy contractors across England. 

The list of contractors is based on information supplied to NHS Prescription Services by Integrated Care Board (ICBs) and should be taken as a guide only due to the problems gathering this information and any delays in informing NHS Prescription Services of changes. 

Contractors indicated as 'Private - NHS Prescription Services only' captures private prescribing information for controlled drugs Schedule 2 and 3 (Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001) for information purposes. 

Community pharmacies who submit FP10PCD forms require a private controlled drug account number which should be used when submitting these forms. This account number should also be used for submitting CD requisition forms and is a different account to the NHS account number used by contractors to submit NHS prescriptions. 

The data includes contractors for Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney. 

We do not keep records of contractors from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

You can view all definitions for the fields included in the dataset in the Contractor Details data dictionary (XLSX: 12KB) 

This data was previously published on the NHSBSA Information Services Portal. Changes have been made to the data since migration to the Open Data Portal and you can read about these changes in the Contractor Details migration changes documentation (ODT: 217KB). 

To:

The Contractor Details dataset is published monthly and contains a list of contractors. NHSBSA maintains a detailed view of the NHS organisational hierarchy structure for England, which enables more comprehensive information to be provided in this dataset.

The list of contractors is based on information supplied to NHS Prescription Services by Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and should be treated as a guide only, due to challenges in gathering this information and delays in notifying NHS Prescription Services of changes.

Coverage for Wales and the Crown Dependencies (Jersey, Isle of Man, Guernsey and Alderney) is more limited and reflects only the information held within the NHSBSA organisational database. No contractor information is held for Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Contractors indicated as 'Private’ captures private prescribing information for controlled drugs Schedule 2 and 3 (Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001) for information purposes.

Community pharmacies who submit FP10PCD forms require a private controlled drug account number which should be used when submitting these forms. This account number should also be used for submitting CD requisition forms and is a different account to the NHS account number used by contractors to submit NHS prescriptions.

You can view all definitions for the fields included in the dataset in the Contractor Details data dictionary (XLSX:12KB)

This data was previously published on the NHSBSA Information Services Portal. Changes have been made to the data since migration to the Open Data Portal and you can read about these changes in the  Contractor Details migration changes documentation (ODT: 217KB). 

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Geography changed from:

England only.

To:

This data includes views of England, Wales, Jersey, Isle of Man, Guernsey, and Alderney.