Inhaler quantity units #12
@ra.croker Thank you for your comment and please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in a response.
Your comment, unfortunately, may have been made during a period wherein we were struggling with our dataset activity notifications - an issue we believe is now long resolved by our suppliers.
If your query is still requiring a response, please do let me know and I will ensure that a prompt response is provided as a matter of urgency.
Again, please accept my apologies.
Kindest regards, Kate Data and Insight Analyst
Yes please, there appears to still be the same issue.
I note I made an error in the original message, which should say:
WockAIR 160micrograms/dose / 4.5micrograms/dose dry powder inhaler (0302000K0BJAAAM) shows up as dose quantities, i.e. multiples of 60, whereas WockAIR 320micrograms/dose / 9micrograms/dose dry powder inhaler (0302000K0BJABAU) appears as quantities of packs, i.e. multiples of 1. They both appear to only have one pack size.
Yes please, there appears to still be the same issue.
I note I made an error in the original message, which should say:
WockAIR 160micrograms/dose / 4.5micrograms/dose dry powder inhaler (0302000K0BJAAAM) shows up as dose quantities, i.e. multiples of 60, whereas WockAIR 320micrograms/dose / 9micrograms/dose dry powder inhaler (0302000K0BJABAU) appears as quantities of packs, i.e. multiples of 1. They both appear to only have one pack size.
Yes please, there appears to still be the same issue.
I note I made an error in the original message, which should say:
WockAIR 160micrograms/dose / 4.5micrograms/dose dry powder inhaler (0302000K0BJAAAM) shows up as dose quantities, i.e. multiples of 60, whereas WockAIR 320micrograms/dose / 9micrograms/dose dry powder inhaler (0302000K0BJABAU) appears as quantities of packs, i.e. multiples of 1. They both appear to only have one pack size.
This is due to how the pack sizes are held within our drug database (either a special container or non-special container) and how the EPD shows the quantities prescribed.
For inhalers that are special containers such as WockAIR 320micrograms/dose / 9micrograms/dose dry powder inhaler even though the pack size is 60 dose the EPD will show this as the number of inhalers. So 60 dose becomes a quantity of 1, 120 dose becomes a quantity of 2 etc.
For WockAIR 160micrograms/dose / 4.5micrograms/dose dry powder inhaler the pack size is 120 dose (non special container) made up of 2 x 60 special container sub-packs. In this scenario the EPD will show the number of doses and not the number of inhalers as the pack size itself is not a special container. So 1 inhaler is shown as a quantity of 120 dose.
This will still be the case if an inhaler strength has two packs that follow the scenario above - so a special container pack and a non special container pack made up of special containers will follow the logic above.
@ra.croker Please see the above response from a fellow Data and Insight Analyst here at Data Services within the NHSBSA.
I'm hoping that this answers your query but please do let me know if you require any further assistance.
Again, I do apologise for the delay with all of this.
Best wishes, Kate Data and Insight Analyst
Hi
Are you able to describe how to identify where inhaler quantities are shown as doses, rather than packs please?
e.g. WockAIR 160micrograms/dose / 4.5micrograms/dose dry powder inhaler (0302000K0BJAAAM) shows up as dose quantities, i.e. multiples of 60, whereas WockAIR 320micrograms/dose / 9micrograms/dose dry powder inhaler (0302000K0BJABAU) appears as quantities of packs, i.e. multiples of 60. They both appear to only have one pack size.
You can see the differences in the table:
Most inhalers show as packs, but a few (like this and Breezhalers) show as "puffs". It makes quantity calculations really challenging, and it would be good to understand the reasoning why.
Thanks!