Request

I would like to make a request for an extensive extract. I would like to request total items and total actual costs for each CCG for each of the last 12 months (each month separately please) ending November 2021.

I require the totals to be presented at BNF Paragraph Level and divided into the constituent 5 year age bandings and further separated by gender. To contextualise, I am aiming to received a full dataset for which I could identify How many items and how much cost was associated for each paragraph within each 5 year bracket for both male and female. I hope this makes sense

Response

Fewer than 5 Items

Please be aware that I have decided not to release the exact number of items, where the total number of items falls below 5, for certain drugs/patient combinations.

Where suppression has been applied a * is shown in place of the number of items, please read this as 1-4 items.

Suppression was applied in the following instances: • Contraceptives (BNF 0703)

• Contraceptive devices (BNF 2014)

• Vacuum Pumps for Erectile Dysfunction (BNF 2118)

• Vaginal Moisturisers (BNF 2123)

• Vaginal Dilators (BNF 2125)

• Vaginal PH Correction Products (BNF 2134)

• HIV infection (BNF 050301)

• Viral hepatitis (BNF 050303)

• Female Sex Hormones & Their Modulators (BNF 060401) prescribed to Males.

• Male Sex Hormones And Antagonists (BNF 060402) prescribed to Females.

• Preparations For Vaginal/Vulval Changes (BNF 070201) prescribed to Males.

• Vaginal and Vulval Infections (BNF 070202) prescribed to Males.

• Combined Hormonal Contraceptives/Systems (BNF 070301) prescribed to Males.

• Progestogen-only Contraceptives (BNF 070302) prescribed to Males.

• Progestogens (BNF 080302) prescribed to Males.

• Drugs For Erectile Dysfunction (BNF 070405) prescribed to Females.

• Drugs For Premature Ejaculation (BNF 070406) prescribed to Females.

This is because the patients could be identified, when combined with other information that may be in the public domain or reasonably available.

This information falls under the exemption in section 40 subsections 2 and 3A (a) of the Freedom of Information Act.

This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as: a) it is not fair to disclose patients personal details to the world and is likely to cause damage or distress. b) these details are not of sufficient interest to the public to warrant an intrusion into the privacy of the patients.

Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40

Breach of Patient confidentiality

Please note that the identification of patients is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. A patient who has been identified could make a claim against the NHSBSA or yourself for the disclosure of the confidential information.

The information requested is therefore being withheld as it falls under the exemption in section 41(1) ‘Information provided in confidence’ of the Freedom of Information Act.

Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/41

Remaining Information

A copy of the information is attached.

The data source was the NHSBSA Information Services Data Warehouse.

The time period covered is December 2020 to November 2021.

NHSBSA 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.

This dataset is limited to items prescribed in CCGs in England.

This dataset is limited to items dispensed in England.

The BNF Code is a 15 digit code in which the first seven digits are allocated according to the categories in the BNF and the last 8 digits represent the medicinal product, form, strength and the link to the generic equivalent product. In this dataset the BNF code is given to 6 digits where digits 1 & 2 represent the BNF Chapter, 3 & 4 represent the BNF Section and 5 & 6 represent the BNF Paragraph.

Age band - The data is split into 5 year age bands from 0-4 up to 90-94, with a final band of 95+. Where the age of the patient is not known items will be reported as UNKNOWN.

Gender is shown in the data as follows: F = Female M = Male U = Unknown/Not Specified.

The actual cost is the basic price of the drug less the National Average Discount Percentage (NADP) plus Payment for Consumables (previously known container allowance), Out of Pocket Expenses and Payment for Containers (10p for splitting packs). The calculation for the discount amount is the basic price multiplied by the NADP. Actual Cost only relates to prescribed England.

All data is based on dispensed prescription items that were processed by the NHSBSA, not including items not dispensed, disallowed or returned back. Also excluding items prescribed but not presented for dispensing or not submitted to NHS Prescription Services by the dispenser.

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

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact nhsbsa.communicationsteam@nhs.net. 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 2022” This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence:

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

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.