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Data not yet available
Please be aware that the first Monthly Changes file will not be published until May 2025.
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Dataset Description
This dataset tracks changes to the BNF Code Information - Current Year, highlighting any amendments made at the end of each month. The BNF code dataset itself is published monthly, and this dataset provides a comparison of what has changed between versions. For example, once January is complete, any changes are identified and published in February.
The monthly changes file provides a cumulative view of all changes made to the BNF structural hierarchy over the course of a calendar year. Each month, new changes applied (additions, removals, and amendments) are added to the same file, so users can track how the data has evolved throughout the year.
The final version of the file is published in January and includes all changes for the previous year (January to December). After this, the file is reset, and a new changes file begins for the new year.
The NHSBSA uses the British National Formulary (BNF) coding system to support prescription reporting. The BNF provides a structured, hierarchical view of drugs and medical devices at the BNF presentation level, organised into chapters, sections, and paragraphs. This structured approach ensures that therapeutic categories are clearly defined and provides essential context for NHSBSA prescription data reporting.
Each drug or medical device presentation used in Primary Care is assigned a BNF code, allowing it to be identified and extracted for analysis. The BNF code system enables flexible extraction, aggregation, ordering, and presentation of data at multiple levels and in various combinations.
BNF Code Structure
- BNF Drug Code: A 15-digit code, where the first seven digits correspond to the BNF categories, and the last eight digits represent the medicinal product, form, strength, and link to the generic equivalent.
- BNF Appliance Code: An 11-digit code used for medical appliances.
Other BNF Datasets
The BNF dataset is updated monthly, with the latest version available in the BNF Code Information - Current Year dataset. Previous versions are available in the BNF Code Information – Historic dataset.
Dataset Details
Service Overview
Information about our NHSBSA Prescriptions Data service can be found here - Prescription Data | NHSBSA
Data Source
Data Collection
Sourced from NHSBSA Common Drug Reference (CDR) database.
Time Periods
A monthly file from April 2024 onwards.
Geography
Not Applicable. This dataset is not based on any specific geography.
Caveats
Information: BNF Categorisation and Structure
- The data aligns with the latest BNF categorisation held on NHSBSA drug databases. The British National Formulary (BNF) structure changed with BNF 70 (September 2015), but NHSBSA data continues to follow the BNF 68 structure.
- Chapter 19 is a general category for products that do not fit into standard BNF chapters. Some headings in this chapter may not clearly reflect the products within.
- To be able to classify items not covered within standard BNF chapters (1–15), the NHSBSA has created pseudo BNF chapters (20–23). These chapters primarily cover dressings and appliances, ensuring they can be classified and reported effectively within the NHSBSA's coding system.
- The BNF code does not include pack size details or further specificity beyond its defined structure.
- Drugs and chemical substances can appear in multiple BNF chapters or sections, such as Methadone.
- New BNF codes are created as needed, but changes to existing BNF codes occur once a year. For example, if a product moves from Chapter 03 to Chapter 04, this change takes effect in January.
Information: Therapeutic Classification Limitations
Medicines are classified based on their primary therapeutic indication, but they may also be prescribed for other reasons that are not captured by NHSBSA during processing. The clinical indication of a prescription is not recorded, so it is not possible to determine the reason for prescribing.
Information: Appliance BNF Coding Descriptions
Appliance BNF coding for BNF Paragraph, Subparagraph, and Chemical Substance fields is a representation of other fields to provide a more meaningful description. The BNF Presentation/Product field provides the actual appliance description.
Information: Compatibility and Matching Considerationss
Care should be taken when attempting to match BNF coding information from this dataset to other NHSBSA datasets, as other datasets may provide snapshots of data specific to individual prescription months, rather than dynamically updated versions.
Information: Data Accuracy and Source Limitations
The accuracy of this dataset is dependent on the source CDR drug database, where the raw data is stored.
Enquiries
Who can I contact if I have queries relating to the data?
If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing, the data please contact DataServicesSupport@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the name of the dataset for reference. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.
Citing and Reusing This Data
Important information regarding 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.
Citation
NHS Business Services Authority. " BNF Code Information – Monthly Changes " NHS Business Services Authority Open Data. Accessed [Date Accessed]. URL: https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/bnf-code-information-monthly-changes
![[Open Data]](/base/images/od_80x15_blue.png)