FOI-03449

Thank you for your request for information about the following: 

##Request 

<p><i>‘I would like to request a further breakdown of the data included in the Medicines Used in Mental Health - Central nervous system (CNS) stimulants and drugs used for ADHD</i></p>

<p><i>I would like the following data:</i></p>

<p><i>The ICB, Gender, Age Band, Age Band and Gender, Population by Age Gender, and IMD tabs showing the data for the following sub-ICB levels:</i></p>

<p><i>06Q NHS MID ESSEX CCG</i></p>

<p><i>07G NHS THURROCK CCG</i></p>

<p><i>99E NHS BASILDON AND BRENTWOOD CCG</i></p>

<p><i>99F NHS CASTLE POINT AND ROCHFORD CCG</i></p>

<p><i>99G NHS SOUTHEND CCG</i></p>

<p><i>06T NHS NORTH EAST ESSEX CCG</i></p>

<p><i>07H NHS WEST ESSEX CCG</i></p>

<p><i>I would like the data to be separated out between the above codes on each tab rather than one figure to cover all the codes so that I can compare the areas</i></p>

<p><i>This to cover the latest quarterly data and for each quarter back to 2022/23</i></p>

<p><i>Could the Identified patient flag be removed and those figures combined? - I appreciate that this may cause some slight discrepancies when comparing the ICB data with the gender and age data.’</i></p>

##[On 6 January 2026 you clarified your request as follows] 

<p><i>‘Thanks for your help with processing this and for reaching out to get clarification. I can confirm that your list of SICBLs is correct and corresponds to the areas that we are interested in. For the IMD, could I please get the older version of the IMD (pre-November)?’</i></p>

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 12 December 2025, with clarification received on 6 January 2026.  

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. 

##Data Source 

The data source was the NHSBSA Information Services Data Warehouse. 

##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. 

This dataset does not exclude any items supplied under Community Pharmacy Advanced Services, such as Pharmacy First.  

##Time Period 

April 2024 to September 2025, presented as financial years and quarters. 

##Organisation Data 

The data provided is for prescriptions prescribed in England. 

##Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 

A new IMD was released in November 2025, however, the 2019 version of the IMD has been used to produce this dataset. This is in line with the IMD version used in the most recent Medicines Used in Mental Health statistical publication. 

It is presented at SICBL level, limited to  

06Q00    NHS MID AND SOUTH ESSEX ICB - 06Q 

99E00    NHS MID AND SOUTH ESSEX ICB - 99E 

07G00    NHS MID AND SOUTH ESSEX ICB - 07G 

07H00    NHS HERTFORDSHIRE AND WEST ESSEX ICB - 07H 

99G00    NHS MID AND SOUTH ESSEX ICB - 99G 

06T00    NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX ICB - 06T 

99F00    NHS MID AND SOUTH ESSEX ICB - 99F 

##Gender 

Patient gender has been reported using the latest patient gender information held by the NHSBSA Information Services data warehouse at the time that the data was extracted.  

This uses information from either the most recent Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) message or from the last time that NHSBSA received data about the patient's gender from NHS Personal Demographics Service.  Gender is either: Male, Female, Not Known (where no information is held) or Indeterminate (where information is held which does not confirm either Male or Female). 

##Drugs 

The dataset is limited to BNF Section 0404 Central nervous system (CNS) stimulants and drugs used for ADHD. Please note that the NHSBSA holds records of the drugs that were prescribed and dispensed, not the clinical reason that a drug was supplied. 

##Data Queries 

Please contact <a href=mailto:foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk>foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk</a> 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 <a href=mailto:communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk>communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk</a>. 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 2026”. 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.

Tags: ADHD, Central nervous system stimulants, Medicines Used in Mental Health, NHS Prescriptions
Organization: Freedom of Information Disclosure Log