Primary care prescribing data is captured by the NHS reimbursement agency, the NHSBSA, from the NHS prescription forms dispensed by community pharmacists across England. As the patients' names and the conditions for which medicines are prescribed are not required for the reimbursement process this information is not available at a national level. It is possible to estimate the number of patients receiving a particular medicine but the accuracy of the estimate will depend on the range of dosing patterns and the number of clinical indications for the medicine.
Guidelines for primary and shared care in the UK
Combines Department of Health's Library and Information Services (DH Data) and the Kings Fund Information and Library Service database. With coverage from 1979 it has information on health service policy, management and administration; quality of health services including hospitals, nursing, primary care and public health; the planning, design, construction and maintenance of health service buildings; occupational health; control and regulation of medicines; medical equipment and supplies; social care and personal social services; service development; and NHS organisation and development.