Not as many links to Mumsnet this time, but just in case of interest here are some places where prescribing information or data sets for individuals, GP practices or countries can be found.
INDIVIDUALS
Prescribing for individuals can be purchased from commercial primary care data bases (expensive ++):
QResearch http://www.qresearch.org/SitePages/Home.aspx
Thin http://www.ucl.ac.uk/pcph/research-groups-themes/thin-pub/database
CPRD http://www.cprd.com/intro.asp
The Health Survey for England collects information on prescribed medications as part of the wider data collected. FREE from the data archive, smaller data set and not as comprehensive as previous option:
http://www.hscic.gov.uk/article/3741/Health-Survey-for-England-Health-social-care-and-lifestyles
Biobank. The questionnaire seems to indicate that there are questions about prescribing, and information sheets indicate that biobank will link to general practice prescribing information but it isn’t yet:
http://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Touch_screen_questionnaire.pdf
GENERAL PRACTICE
The availability of practice level prescribing data is brilliant. All drugs prescribed by all GP practices in England each month from June 2010 onwards here:
http://www.hscic.gov.uk/gpprescribingdata
or for Wales from April 2010 here:
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?orgid=428&pid=65866
The Scottish data is described here, but I couldn’t find it to download
http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Prescribing-and-Medicines/PRISMS/
Previously prescribing information could be applied for to the NHS Business Services Authority via a freedom of information request http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/PrescriptionServices.aspx but I think that this may be mostly superseded now by the above
I assume that care.data will be another source of some practice level prescribing information when it comes online in April http://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/tsd/data-info/
COUNTRY
Prescription cost analysis files give information on all prescriptions dispensed by devolved country.
Wales:
http://wales.gov.uk/topics/statistics/theme/health/primary-care/prescribing/?lang=en
N. Ireland:
http://www.hscbusiness.hscni.net/services/1806.htm
England 1998-2004:
England 2005 onwards:
Scotland:
DICTIONARY OF MEDICINES AND DEVICES
https://www.uktcregistration.nss.cfh.nhs.uk/trud3/user/guest/group/0/pack/6/subpack/24/releases