Request

Relating to FOI-01744: I wondered whether it might be possible to determine the items prescribed. I am trying to investigate the breadth of use of the wider formulary for community based V300 prescribers and the data requested was for all items prescribed rather than number of items prescribed.

Response

NHS Prescription Services process prescriptions for Pharmacy Contractors, Appliance Contractors, Dispensing Doctors, and Personal Administration with information then used to make payments to pharmacists and appliance contractors in England for prescriptions dispensed in primary care settings (other arrangements are in place for making payments to Dispensing Doctors and Personal Administration). This involves processing over 1 billion prescription items and payments totalling over £9 billion each year. The information gathered from this process is then used to provide information on costs and trends in prescribing in England and Wales to over 25,000 registered NHS and Department of Health and Social Care users.

Data Source: ePACT2 - Data in ePACT2 is sourced from the NHSBSA Data Warehouse and is derived from products prescribed on prescriptions and dispensed in the Community. The data captured from prescription processing is used to calculate reimbursement and remuneration. It includes items prescribed in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Guernsey / Alderney, Jersey, and Isle of Man which have been dispensed in the community in England. English prescribing that has been dispensed in Wales, Scotland, Guernsey / Alderney, Jersey, and Isle of Man is also included.

The Data excludes:
• Items not dispensed, disallowed and those returned to the contractor for further clarification.
• Prescriptions prescribed and dispensed in prisons, hospitals, and private prescriptions. • Items prescribed but not presented for dispensing or not submitted to NHS Prescription Services by the dispenser.

Dataset – This dataset consists of items prescribed on a quarterly basis, split by BNF Presentation, and is limited by prescriber sub-type and ICB (Integrated Care Board). Prescriber sub-types included in the data are Nurse Independent and Community Practitioner Nurse. ICB’s included in the data are Birmingham and Solihull ICB (QHL), Black Country ICB (QUA), Coventry and Warwickshire ICB (QWU), Derby and Derbyshire ICB (QJ2), Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB (QGH), Leicestershire and Rutland ICB (QK1), Lincolnshire ICB (QJM), Northamptonshire ICB (QPM), Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB (QT1), Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB (QOC) and Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB (QNC). Please note this data is split into two parts. One file covers March 2019 – December 2021 and the other file covers January 2022 – March 2024

Time Period – Data is presented quarterly for prescribing between March 2019 - March 2024.

Organisation Data - The data is for prescribing in England regardless of where dispensed in the community.

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