Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA)

"The Prescription Cost Analysis reports provides national drug information to the Department of Health."

The Prescription Cost Analysis System reports on all prescriptions dispensed in England in the community by:

• community pharmacists
  
• appliance contractors
  
• dispensing doctors.

This includes prescriptions:

• for items personally administered by GPs.
  
  
• written by a dentist or hospital doctor and dispensed in the community.
  
  
• written in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man but dispensed in England.

The purpose of the Prescription Cost Analysis System is to provide:

• an analysis of drug prices
  
• national forecasting information
  
• data for monitoring new products
  
• data for monitoring adverse drug reactions for the Committee on Safety of Medicines
  
• claims made according to patient exemption categories
  
• flexibility for ad-hoc analysis
  
• potential for research
  
• possible fraud indications or irregularities.

The following are the four categories of report, which are produced on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis:-

Drug Analysis

The Drug Analysis information relates to cost and number of items dispensed. It provides lists of individual drug products, which are produced by class of preparation (proprietary or generic) within BNF therapeutic classification.

Pharmacy Analysis

The Pharmacy Analysis provides information on the:

• number of establishments
  
• size
  
• group
  
• type of ownership
  
• type of fees claimed.

The reports also include the corresponding number of prescriptions dispensed and the total cost.

Dispensing Doctor Analysis

The Dispensing Doctor Analysis provides information on the number and cost of prescriptions:

• written by dispensing doctors
  
• personally administered by prescribing and dispensing doctors.

Miscellaneous Analysis

The Miscellaneous Analysis provides additional information to meet specific user requirements.