FOI-03017 - FOI_03017_DATA - Open Data Portal

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As of 16 June 2025, 16:30 – The previously reported issue with data files displaying in reverse order (oldest first) has now been resolved. Files should now appear with the most recent listed first.

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Additional Info

Field	Value
Data last updated	8 August 2025
Metadata last updated	8 August 2025
Created	8 August 2025
Format	text/csv
Licence	Open Government Licence 3.0 (United Kingdom)

Data Dictionary

Column	Title	Type	Description
YEAR_MONTH	Year and Month	number	The year and month for which the claim for dispensed items has been submitted to NHSBSA in the format YYYYMM.
BNF_CHEMICAL_SUBSTANCE_CODE	BNF Chemical Substance Code	string	The first nine digits of the 15-digit BNF Code, which indicate the chemical substance under which the drug or appliance is categorised.
BNF_CHEMICAL_SUBSTANCE_NAME	BNF Chemical Substance	string	This is the International Non-proprietary Name (INN) and is the standard registered name for the active constituent of that medicine, for example omeprazole. For compounds the name may be more complex, such as co-magaldrox magnesium/aluminium hydrox). In some cases the name is a collective one for a range of medicines, such as alginic acid compound preparations. For prescriptions in BNF chapters 19 to 23, there is no "chemical" name, as these are dressings and appliances. Therefore, these items are reported under the BNF section name, for example, night drainage bags.
BNF_PRESENTATION_CODE	BNF Code	string	The BNF Code is a 15-digit code in which the first seven digits are allocated according to the categories in the BNF and the last 8 digits represent the medicinal product, form, strength and the link to the generic equivalent product. NHS Prescription Services has created pseudo BNF chapters, which are not published, for items not included in BNF chapters 1 to 15. The majority of such items are dressings and appliances which NHS Prescription Services has classified into four pseudo BNF chapters (20 to 23).
BNF_PRESENTATION	BNF Presentation Description	string	The individual preparation name of the drug, which may be proprietary or generic, followed by strength and form.
PRESCRIBER_TYPE	Prescriber Type	string	Indicates the prescriber type recorded as prescribing the prescription
PRESCRIBED_QUANTITY	Prescribed Quantity	number	The quantity that has been prescribed.
ITEMS	Items	number	Items shows the number of times a product appears on a prescription form not the quantity prescribed.