Primary Care Medicines (PCM) Dataset#
1. Summary#
This dataset is also called the Medicines Dispensed in Primary Care NHS Business Services Authority dataset.
| Dataset descriptor | Dataset-specific information |
|---|---|
| Name of dataset in TRE | PCM |
| Other name | Medicines dispensed in Primary Care NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) dataset |
| Temporal coverage | 01/04/2015 onwards |
| TRE temporal coverage | 01/04/2015 onwards |
| Short description | Dataset about all prescriptions that have been submitted by prescribers to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) for reimbursement purposes. The dataset includes prescriptions issued by pharmacists, dentists and doctors in general practice, community clinics, dentists, hospital clinics and community nursing homes. The prescriptions may have been written in England and dispensed UK-wide or written elsewhere in the UK and dispensed in England. |
| Owner | NHS England |
| Frequency of update | Annually |
| Key link | https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-tools-and-services/data-services/medicines-dispensed-in-primary-care-nhsbsa-data |
| Keywords | Medicines, Prescriptions |
| Geographical coverage | England |
| Data resolution | Prescription |
| Specific restrictions to data use | None |
| Number of variables | 57 |
| Number of observations | 32640281 |
| Participant count | 223909 |
| Date of last extract | 2024-04-26 |
2. Metrics#
The tables below summarise the PCM dataset in the UK LLC TRE.
Table 1 The number of participants from each LPS that are represented in the PCM dataset in the UK LLC TRE
(Note: numbers relate to the most recent extract of NHS England data)
| LPS | Participant count |
|---|---|
| ALSPAC | 5313 |
| BCS70 | 5359 |
| BIB | 24916 |
| ELSA | 6890 |
| EPICN | 14580 |
| EXCEED | 9105 |
| FENLAND | 9588 |
| GLAD | 65939 |
| MCS | 16183 |
| NCDS58 | 5856 |
| NEXTSTEP | 4585 |
| NIHRBIO_COPING | 15558 |
| NSHD46 | 2441 |
| TEDS | 6905 |
| TRACKC19 | 12855 |
| TWINSUK | 11420 |
| UKHLS | 6416 |
| TOTAL | 223909 |
3. Helpful syntax#
Below we will include syntax that may be helpful to other researchers in the UK LLC TRE. For longer scripts, we will include a snippet of the code plus a link to Git where you can find the full script.