What I read on the internet (Part V): prescribing information

Follow

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a freedom of information request http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/PrescriptionServices.aspx but I think that this may be mostly superseded now by the above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:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120503222906/http:/www.dh.gov.uk/en/PublicationsAndStatistics/Statistics/StatisticalWorkAreas/StatisticalHealthCare/DH_4086488

England 2005 onwards:

http://www.hscic.gov.uk/

Scotland:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Prescribing-and-Medicines/Community-Dispensing/Prescription-Cost-Analysis/

DICTIONARY OF MEDICINES AND DEVICES

https://www.uktcregistration.nss.cfh.nhs.uk/trud3/user/guest/group/0/pack/6/subpack/24/releases