Geography or location inclusion

The data provided is based on England Community Dispensing only and may include items prescribed in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey / Alderney and the Isle of Man which have been dispensed in England.

Geography or location exclusion

The data excludes items prescribed in England but dispensed in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Isle of Man.

The data excludes prescription items which are disallowed, not dispensed and those returned for further clarification.

The data excludes dental prescriptions and items prescribed in hospitals, dispensed in the community.

The data excludes items dispensed in prisons, hospital and private prescriptions.

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.

Data prior to 2018

Items prescribed in Jersey, Guernsey / Alderney were not included.

Prescription items which are disallowed, not dispensed and those returned for further clarification were included.

Items shows the number of times a product appears on a prescription form not the quantity prescribed. Please note, previously to December 2018 dataset, where a vaccine is ordered on a High Volume Vaccine form and the ‘Total no. of doses administered in the month’ value is greater than 1, the report counts this as only 1 item.

For more information about High Volume Vaccine forms see the following link:

http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/PrescriptionServices/933.aspx

Where the dispenser is a dispensing practice then only the dispenser name will be displayed, the address will match the practice address except for unidentified doctors/practices and dummy practices.

Prescription information

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

Data enhancement

To enhance the dataset as of December 2018 the number of EPS items have been included. EPS items show the number of times a product has been prescribed though the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) which allows the electronic transfer of prescriptions from prescriber to dispenser to allow for medicines to be dispensed, then on to the NHSBSA for payment.

Practice information

NHSBSA Prescription Services do not hold practice codes and addresses for non-English prescribing which has been dispensed in England, therefore the practice name is displayed as a Dummy Practice.

The address assigned to unidentified practices/doctors is the address of the parent organisation.

Practices may consist of a number of different types of prescribers, including GPs, Nurse Prescribers, Pharmacist Prescribers, Hospital Doctor, Optometrist Prescribers, Physiotherapist Prescribers, Podiatrist Prescribers, and Dietician Prescribers.

Some of the "Practices" listed in the information are not traditional practices. They are other services which the Commissioner / Provider has set up as a practice, i.e. specialist units or out of hours services. These units are often indicated as having one prescriber.