Request

Can i please request the number of inhalers prescribed by bnf code split by indication of asthma or copd. This would be for all inhalers seperately please. If I could requets the last 12 months of data available to yourselves. If it isn’t possible to split by indication directly would it be possible to understand the prescribing for patients on either the Asthma and COPD registers similar to a report done for Montelukast

You subsequently clarified the request with:

On the public insight portal reviewing the respiratory dashboard there is a measure for “Patients per 1,000 prescribed Montelukast on asthma register”, could I ask how that measure is created so we can look to replicate for Inhalers instead of Montelukast?

Response

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.

We do not hold clinical indication for prescriptions. We also do not hold patient registers for asthma or COPD – this is part of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) which is held by NHS Digital. We would only be able to provide numbers of inhalers which is available in the Open Data Portal PCA data:

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

The latest asthma register data can be downloaded from:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/quality-and-outcomes-framework-achievement-prevalence-and-exceptions-data/2021-22#resources

This gives the number of patients on the asthma register at GP practice level, which can then be rolled up to national / ICB levels, although this could cause double counting of patients. For example, if a patient was registered at more than one practice in the year they may be reported against both.

The QOF technical annex may also be helpful- please contact NHS Digital for more information on this:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/quality-and-outcomes-framework-achievement-prevalence-and-exceptions-data/2021-22/technical-annex#definitions

To replicate the montelukast indicator you would then need to submit a new FOI to request patient counts for inhaler prescribing. We would be able to supply this data by the type of inhaler but without the clinical indication.

It is possible that NHS Digital may hold some or all of the information you require. They can be contacted at:

NHS Digital

7 and 8 Wellington Place,

Leeds,

West Yorkshire,

LS1 4AP

Tel 0300 3035678

email enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk

Website http://digital.nhs.uk/