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Dispensing doctor and personally administered (PADM) dispensing data

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Community Prescribing & Dispensing

Datasets on the prescribing and dispensing of medicines in the community

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Open Government Licence 3.0 (United Kingdom) [Open Data]

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Dispensing doctor and personally administered (PADM) dispensing data

Important: Historic Dispensing Doctor and PADM Dispensing Data Now Available in Updated Format

Files for April 2014 to December 2024 for the Dispensing Doctor and Personally Administered (PADM) dispensing data have now been provided in the updated format on the NHSBSA Open Data Portal.

Please note that column headings may vary over time.

Dataset Description

The dispensing doctor and PADM report is a monthly dataset that details prescriptions dispensed and/or personally administered within dispensing or prescribing doctor practices. The report shows the volume of activity that has occurred from English dispensing practices, that includes the number of items and professional fees. The information relates to services that are outlined in the General Medical Services Statement of Financial Entitlements Directions (GMS SFE Directions).

The data provided is based on community prescribing and dispensing in England only.

The dataset is openly available via the NHSBSA Open Data Portal, promoting transparency and enabling widespread analysis.

The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) decided it's in the public interest to release details of dispensing information for identified dispensers.

View our approach to releasing dispensing information (Word: 301KB)

Key Features

  • Organisational-Level Information: Each record is linked to a specific practice dispensing account for Commissioner/Providers, enabling analysis.
  • Data Granularity: The dataset captures the numbers associated with each individual dispenser (and their address) that has been passed for payment. Enabling analysis of trends.
  • Reference Point: The dataset allows for a quick view of dispensing activity within the community in England.
Use Cases and Benefits

The dispensing data supports a range of users, including healthcare professionals, policymakers, and researchers.

Key applications include:

  • Integration with Other Datasets: Can be linked with other datasets to provide a more comprehensive view of patient care and prescribing impacts.

Overview of Service

Information about our NHSBSA Prescriptions Data service can be found here - Prescription data | NHSBSA

Dataset Details

Publication Frequency

Data is uploaded on a monthly basis and is published retrospectively with a three-month delay.

For example, May data is published in August.

Data Source

NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) Data Warehouse.

Data Collection

The dispensing doctor and PADM report is compiled from NHSBSA data source to ensure accuracy and consistency in prescription records.

Time Periods

Data from January 2025 onwards is available now on the NHSBSA Open Data Portal.

We are currently working to migrate earlier data from April 2014 onwards to the Open Data Portal. This will made available incrementally and we expect the full set to be available over the next few months.

In the meantime, data covering January 2020 to March 2025 can be accessed via the Dispensing Doctor and PADM Dispensed Data section on the NHSBSA website:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/prescription-data/dispensing-data/dispensing-contractors-data

Geography

England.

Statistical Classification

Management Information - This is not an official statistic.

Caveats

Information:

Dispensing doctor and PADM Caveats

This data relates to prescriptions dispensed and personally administered in England by dispensing doctor practices and includes prescriptions personally administered in England by prescribing doctor practices.

Information:

Practice

A dispensing practice is defined as a practice with at least one active dispensing GP.

Please note that some dispensing practices may not submit prescriptions to us every month. Additionally, a low volume of prescriptions may be received for the last month when a practice changes status from a dispensing to a prescribing practice. The status change will occur when the dispensing GP leaves the practice or is no longer a dispensing GP. This means that the number of dispensing practices submitting prescriptions to us each month will vary.

Information:

Items

Number of Items shows the number of times a product appears on a prescription form, not the quantity prescribed.

Information:

Prescriptions (Professional Fees)

Total number of prescriptions (professional fees) shows the total number of fees payable for prescriptions dispensed or personally administered. Please note that a dispensed or personally administered prescription item can attract more than one fee.

Information:

Exclusions

This data does not include dispensing by pharmacy and appliance contractors. Data for these contractors can be found at: https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/pharmacy-and-appliance-contractor-dispensing-data.

If a prescription was issued but not presented for dispensing or was not submitted to NHSBSA Prescription Services by the dispenser, then it is not included in the data provided.

Information:

Based on Submission

All data is based on the month of submission. No retrospective adjustments are made to the data.

The basis of the location where the contractor resides is determined on the payment month.

Information:

Type of Data

This data is the ‘number of’ and not financial values.

Please note that from June 2020 data the address will be provided in one column with the post code in a separate column.

Enquiries

Who can I contact if I have queries relating to the data?

If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing the data, please contact DataServicesSupport@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the name of the dataset for reference. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

Citing and Reusing This Data

Important information regarding reusing the data and copyright

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data, please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and/or other applicable law. You may use the data freely, provided that you attribute the source.

Citation

NHS Business Services Authority. "Dispensing doctor and personally administered (PADM) dispensing data" NHS Business Services Authority Open Data. Accessed **[Date Accessed]**. URL: https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/dispensing-doctor-and-personally-administered-padm-dispensing-data

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Source NHS Business Services Authority
Contact NHSBSA Data Services Support Team
Version 1.0
State active
Last Updated December 1, 2025, 10:29 (UTC)
Created June 2, 2025, 14:51 (UTC)