Thank you for your request for information about the following:

Request

‘Q1. What was the total yearly financial cost to the NHS between 1998 and 2024 for each of the five anti-TNF inhibitor biologics (Infliximab, Etanercept, Adalimumab, Certolizumab and Golimumab)?

Please name the yearly cost of each medicine and then the total for all five medicines.

Q2. How many prescriptions were issued between 1998 and 2024 for each of the five anti-TNF inhibitor biologics (Infliximab, Etanercept, Adalimumab, Certolizumab and Golimumab)?

Please name the yearly number for each medicine and then the total for all five medicines.’

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 2 September 2024.

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

Our response

1998 – January 2008

I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by the NHS Business Services Authority.

February 2008 – June 2024

Under Section 21 of the FOIA we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you.

The information you requested is available at the below links.

The Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) data includes the drug name (chemical substance) which you can use to filter to the drug names you require. You can either download the full data file and filter in excel or use the data explorer to filter first.

For information on the cost of drugs use the net ingredient cost (NIC). For the number of prescriptions, use the items.

January 2014 – Financial Year 2023/24 (Annual)

You have requested the data yearly, part of the data you have requested annually can be found at the below link. The remaining data is available monthly.

https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/prescription-cost-analysis-pca-annual-statistics

February 2008 – December 2020 (Monthly)

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/prescription-data/dispensing-data/prescription-cost-analysis-pca-data

January 2021 – June 2024 (Monthly)

https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/prescription-cost-analysis-pca-monthly-data

The guidance document for the dataset can be found at the below link:

https://nhsbsa-opendata.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/pca/pca_background_info_methodology_v001.html

Please see the following link to view the section 21 in full - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/21

Data Queries

If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing, the data please contact foidata@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: “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.