FOI-03426

**Request**

*In relation to a previous published FOI 03128, I would like to request the following information. I would like all the data detailed for Chapters 20, 21, 22 and 23 for each month July, August and September 2025: The data provided should be for prescriptions dispensed and prescribed in England. Prescribing should be split by Sub ICB Locations (SICBLs) and limited to prescribing within SICBLs. The data should include the SICBL Name and code, the BNF code of the pack, the age band of the prescription, the gender of the patient, the total quantity and the net ingredient cost. The age banding should be 5-year bands e.g. 0 4, 5 9, 10 14, etc.*  

**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.

**Data Source**

The data source was the NHSBSA Information Services Data Warehouse.

**Time Period**

Monthly from July 2025 to September 2025

The data is for prescriptions prescribed in Sub ICB Locations (SICBLs) in England and dispensed in England.

The data is limited to prescriptions in BNF chapters 20 (Dressings), 21 (Appliances), 22 (Incontinence Appliances) and 23 (Stoma Appliances).

The dataset also excludes items supplied as part of a Pharmacy First consultation or service.

**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.

**Publishing this response**

Please note that this information will be published on our Freedom of Information disclosure log at:  
https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/foi-03426  

Your personal details will be removed from the published response.

**Data Queries**

Please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk 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 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 Information Services 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: NHS Prescription Services
Organization: Freedom of Information Disclosure Log