Request

You asked us:

Would it be possible to request information held on price changes for products listed on the DM&D database:

For the period 16/Jun/2023 to 15/Jun/2024

• The total number of products notified or recorded as having a price increase within the period

• The total number of products notified or recorded as having a price decrease within the period

• For products notified as having a price increase, the average percentage increase in price

• For products notified as having a price decrease, the average percentage decrease in price

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 24 June 2024.

We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.

Our response

NHSBSA do not produce reporting on the questions posed in this FOI, therefore we do not hold the data requested.

However, I have attached a copy of the information we hold on the Indicative Prices for products listed on the DM&D database. This can be used to answer the questions in your request.

Please read the below notes to ensure correct understanding of the data.

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

The data source was the NHSBSA Information Services Data Warehouse.

Exclusions

The Data excludes:

• Drugs where no price was held in the time period
• Drugs with the same price throughout the time period

Time Period

June 2023 to June 2024 inclusive. Data is correct as held in the NHSBSA Information Services Data Warehouse on 8 June 2024

Snomed ID

The prefix 'SNOMED – ' has been used to stop rounding

Indicative Price

The NHS indicative price of pack(s) of a branded product or generic product by a specific supplier. Prices are correct at month end. Where no value is shown data is incomplete

Data Queries

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

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 is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “Data Warehouse, NHSBSA Copyright 2024” Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.