Unlocking Insights in Prescription Data in England: The Power of the Prescribing Episode Statistics (PES) Database
Author(s)
Tammo C. Viering, PhD1, Svitlana Schnaidt, MSc1, Timotheus Stremel, MSc1, Christian Jacob, PhD1, Sebastian Braun, PhD1, Matthew Holdsworth, BSc2, ben holdsworth, BSc2.
1Cencora, Hannover, Germany, 2Cencora, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
1Cencora, Hannover, Germany, 2Cencora, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
OBJECTIVES: The Prescription Episodes Statistics (PES) database offers detailed, real-world prescription data from primary care within the National Health Service (NHS) in England. We aimed to describe the database to emphasize its potential to improve patient care and support informed decision-making in healthcare.
METHODS: PES were generated utilizing data submitted to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). A comprehensive data resource profile was created based on data processing and descriptive analyses.
RESULTS: The database comprises five current years of primary care prescription data from England, ensuring 100% coverage of prescribing activities across the country. As of June 2025, it provides patient-level information on demographics (e.g., age, gender) for 54.3 million individuals, along with data on 5.9 billion prescription items dispensed between April 2020 and March 2025 (e.g., British National Formulary (BNF) code, BNF name, dose, formulation, quantity, supplier, month and prescription year, Net Ingredient Cost (NIC)). Additionally, it includes information on 24,505 prescribers (e.g., type, Organisation Data Service (ODS) code) and 20,855 dispensed pharmacies (e.g., type, ODS code). The number of prescribed items increased by 10.8% (93.8 million in April 2020; 104.0 million in March 2025). Correspondingly, total NIC increased by 13.1% (£802.2 million in April 2020; £907.3 million in March 2025). Individuals aged >65 years accounted for 44.1% of total costs. The NHS Commissioning Region Midlands recorded the highest prescription share (18.8%, thereof adults: 96.9%). Stratified by BNF category, the prescription item count was highest for the cardiovascular system (BNF section 2), accounting for 29.4% and 1.8 billion prescription items (adults: 99.3%).
CONCLUSIONS: The PES database can enhance our understanding of real-world prescribing behaviors over time across different age groups and geographies, help identify treatment gaps and support informed decision-making, especially when linked with other NHS datasets like Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES).
METHODS: PES were generated utilizing data submitted to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). A comprehensive data resource profile was created based on data processing and descriptive analyses.
RESULTS: The database comprises five current years of primary care prescription data from England, ensuring 100% coverage of prescribing activities across the country. As of June 2025, it provides patient-level information on demographics (e.g., age, gender) for 54.3 million individuals, along with data on 5.9 billion prescription items dispensed between April 2020 and March 2025 (e.g., British National Formulary (BNF) code, BNF name, dose, formulation, quantity, supplier, month and prescription year, Net Ingredient Cost (NIC)). Additionally, it includes information on 24,505 prescribers (e.g., type, Organisation Data Service (ODS) code) and 20,855 dispensed pharmacies (e.g., type, ODS code). The number of prescribed items increased by 10.8% (93.8 million in April 2020; 104.0 million in March 2025). Correspondingly, total NIC increased by 13.1% (£802.2 million in April 2020; £907.3 million in March 2025). Individuals aged >65 years accounted for 44.1% of total costs. The NHS Commissioning Region Midlands recorded the highest prescription share (18.8%, thereof adults: 96.9%). Stratified by BNF category, the prescription item count was highest for the cardiovascular system (BNF section 2), accounting for 29.4% and 1.8 billion prescription items (adults: 99.3%).
CONCLUSIONS: The PES database can enhance our understanding of real-world prescribing behaviors over time across different age groups and geographies, help identify treatment gaps and support informed decision-making, especially when linked with other NHS datasets like Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES).
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
EPH269
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health
Topic Subcategory
Public Health
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas