Thank you for your request for information about the following:

Request

‘May I request updated data following on from FoI request 01635.

The updated period for which I am requesting the data (in the same format) is December 2023 to May 2025 on a monthly basis. To be absolutely clear this is the same format as the information provided in FoI 01635 which I am requesting an update for:

Column 1 Month

Column 2 Total number of items dispensed in the community

Column 3 Number of items dispensed by distance selling pharmacies in the community

Column 4 Number of distance selling pharmacies.’

Original request

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am requesting the following information on prescription items dispensed in the community on a monthly basis from January 2014 to the most recent date available:

Total number of items dispensed in the community

Number of items dispensed by distance selling pharmacies in the community

If available, please provide the number of distance selling pharmacies over the same time period.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 1 September 2025.

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

Our response

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested, and a copy of the information is attached.

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.

Exclusions

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.

• Items supplied as part of a Pharmacy First consultation or service.

Data Source

The data source was the NHSBSA Information Services Data Warehouse.

Time Period

December 2023 to May 2025.

Organisation Data

The data provided is for prescriptions dispensed in England. It also includes Distance Selling Pharmacies (DSPs), with monthly counts of active DSPs and the total number of prescription items dispensed by them.

Data Queries

Please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data.

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 2025”. 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.