FOI-03327

Thank you for your request for information about the following: 
 
##Request 
 
You asked us: 
 
<i>Could I request the following dataset:  
  
•	Could you please provide the total cost (Net Ingredient Cost).

•	Please provide the total cost broken down by BNF code, prescribed date and <span style="display: block; padding-left: 1em;">practice code.(i.e. cost for every single day using EPS, as opposed to aggregated monthly). </span>

•	Please break it down by GP practice code.

•	We are only interested in chapter 23 of the drug tariff
 
•	We would like all available data from 1st January 2022 
  
Please let me know if you have any questions or require further clarification. </i>
 
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 29 October 2025. 
 
We requested clarification on 17 November 2025: 
 
<i>Therefore, we would be grateful if you would clarify your preference regarding the basis for the data breakdown in this request.  
  
In your previous request, you asked for a breakdown by “date,” and we provided data based on the dispensed date. In this latest request, however, you’ve specified “prescribed date.”  
  
To proceed, we can either:  
  
•	Treat this as a continuation of the previous request and provide the next 9 months of data using the dispensed date, or

•	Re-run the analysis using the prescribed date, which would require generating the full 24 months of data.  
  
Please let us know which approach you would prefer. </i>
 
You responded on 18 November 2025: 
 
<i>Please rerun the analysis with prescribed date. I would like all available data from 1st January 2022, if possible. If not, I would like the most recent 24 months. </i>
 
We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.  
 
##Our response 
 
I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested and a copy of the information and notes explaining it 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. 
 
<b>Data Source</b><br> 
The data source is the NHSBSA Information Services Data Warehouse. 
  
<b>Exclusions</b><br>
The Data excludes:<br> 
•	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. 
  
<b>Time Period</b><br> 
Items prescribed January 2022 and September 2025 inclusive, with each month given as a separate file. Note that most data published by the NHSBSA is calculated based on the month that it is processed for payment (after submission by the dispensing contractor) and therefore matching against other datasets with this data may not be reliable. Later submissions may still be made for prescription dates in the months given. 
  
<b>Organisation Data</b><br>
Limited to items prescribed and dispensed in England. 
  
<b>Medications</b><br>
Limited to items that fall into Chapter 23 of the BNF. 
  
<b>Prescription type</b><br>
Limited to prescriptions issued under the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS). The NHSBSA does not hold prescribed dates for paper prescriptions, so these cannot be included in a daily breakdown. 88.51% of prescription items issued over this time period for Chapter 23 items were EPS. 
 
##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: “Data Warehouse, 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. 

Tags: drug tariff
Organization: Freedom of Information Disclosure Log