AQW 21267/17-22


Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry


Tabled Date: 01/07/2021
Answered On Date: 06/07/2021
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the number of units of opioid pain medication prescribed in each of the last five years, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.


Answer:
The number of units of opioid pain medication prescribed in each of the last five years is not known. The HSC Business Services Organisation (BSO) holds data on medications prescribed in primary care and dispensed by a community pharmacist. The tables overleaf show the number of items and quantities of opiod pain medication dispensed and cover all prescription items and quantities, by preparation type, for opioids dispensed for each of the last five financial years, by Local Commissioning Group area.
The number and quantities of opiod pain medication dispensed in each Local Commissioning Group area, 2016/17 to 2020/211, 2, 3
 2016/17
Number of Prescription Items
Quantity of Tablets/ Capsules
Volume of Solutions (ml)
Quantity of Granules (sachets)
Quantity of Transdermal Patches
Belfast
252,421
11,482,130
952,030
12,622
308,682
Northern
243,347
11,389,989
888,416
8,652
293,233
Southern
185,664
8,096,910
811,946
12,356
225,943
South Eastern
192,334
8,121,810
666,271
8,405
343,345
Western
162,366
7,294,858
993,505
5,608
193,364
Unknown
9,280
147,963
128,578
771
2,220
Total
1,045,412
46,533,660
4,440,746
48,414
1,366,787
 2017/18
Number of Prescription Items
Quantity of Tablets/ Capsules
Volume of Solutions (ml)
Quantity of Granules (sachets)
Quantity of Transdermal Patches
Belfast
251,300
11,201,559
943,042
15,206
314,927
Northern
242,559
11,244,855
960,490
5,881
293,180
Southern
184,446
7,906,762
786,910
12,326
228,752
South Eastern
192,077
7,881,009
749,439
9,949
346,018
Western
161,467
7,223,594
989,085
7,470
196,560
Unknown
9,313
136,983
164,078
1,100
1,883
Total
1,041,162
45,594,762
4,593,044
51,932
1,381,320
 2018/19
Number of Prescription Items
Quantity of Tablets/ Capsules
Volume of Solutions (ml)
Quantity of Granules (sachets)
Quantity of Transdermal Patches
Belfast
247,886
10,835,814
1,065,536
12,004
310,070
Northern
239,034
10,911,346
990,643
4,570
281,774
Southern
180,274
7,571,369
737,259
7,418
227,619
South Eastern
192,546
7,778,628
748,328
6,732
342,109
Western
160,285
7,104,338
1,072,623
5,072
198,106
Unknown
8,113
121,623
154,752
904
1,408
Total
1,028,138
44,323,118
4,769,141
36,700
1,361,086
 2019/20
Number of Prescription Items
Quantity of Tablets/ Capsules
Volume of Solutions (ml)
Quantity of Granules (sachets)
Quantity of Transdermal Patches
Belfast
247,185
10,575,768
1,220,813
14,550
309,318
Northern
237,369
10,682,268
1,086,652
8,156
271,524
Southern
178,050
7,357,247
780,135
5,657
225,660
South Eastern
192,075
7,670,926
848,838
11,727
336,108
Western
161,776
7,090,508
1,155,788
4,877
200,077
Unknown
8,047
113,141
151,063
606
1,457
Total
1,024,502
43,489,858
5,243,289
45,573
1,344,144
 2020/21
Number of Prescription Items
Quantity of Tablets/ Capsules
Volume of Solutions (ml)
Quantity of Granules (sachets)
Quantity of Transdermal Patches
Belfast
238,882
10,151,440
1,413,197
18,694
296,968
Northern
228,169
10,283,986
1,234,625
6,222
253,728
Southern
176,328
7,206,449
864,629
7,218
221,076
South Eastern
188,824
7,590,967
841,771
6,482
320,608
Western
160,799
7,071,938
1,194,039
2,589
191,984
Unknown
7,922
111,736
165,809
464
1,588
Total
1,000,924
42,416,516
5,714,070
41,669
1,285,952
Source: Family Practitioner Services, HSC Business Services Organisation.
1 Opioid drugs fall within British National Formulary Chapter 4, Section 7, Paragraph 2.
2 All information is for prescriptions prescribed in primary care and dispensed by a community pharmacist or dispensing doctor and based on the year of payment. If a patient does not take a prescription to a dispenser and have it provided to them, the information will not be included in the dataset. Data on secondary care prescribing and private prescriptions are not held by the Business Services Organisation.
3 The Local Commissioning Groups (LCGs) cover the same geographical areas as the Health and Social Care Trusts. The LCG is based on the location of the GP Practice. Those with an unknown LCG are due to the practice that prescribed the item being a non-standard GP practice, therefore falling outside the LCG definitions e.g. Out of Hours, Hospice or HM Forces.