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Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) data

Changes to Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) monthly administrative data

In December 2020, we held a public consultation on changing the methodology used in the PCA annual national statistics and expanding their content.

Following this consultation, we've changed the underlying methodology used to compile the annual national statistics as well as the PCA monthly administrative data to reflect this.

You can read more about the background information and methodology note as well as the latest version of the annual national statistics.

From April 2021 dispensing data, no further monthly PCA data will be published in the legacy format. The data will also no longer be published on our website but will be available on our Open Data Portal (ODP).

January, February and March 2021 data is being re-run in the new format and will be available in the ODP at the same time as April 2021 dispensing data and monthly thereafter.

PCA data shows national prescription data dispensed in the community in England at presentation level.  

Changes to PCA data from December 2018

We now store and report data via a new data warehouse. This lets us provide more accurate data.

Data will differ in some respects to the data reported before this date.

View the Prescription Cost Analysis England 2018 report (PDF: 325KB) for more information about changes to PCA data.

Prescription Cost Analysis data from January 2020 is now published in the new format in line with ePACT2.

View the One Drug Database (ODD) article for more information.

Annual PCA National Statistics

The annual PCA national statistics publication that was previously released by NHS Digital is now produced by us.

The annual PCA publication is a national statistic release. National statistics status means that PCA meets the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality, public value, and complies with all aspects of the Code of Practice for Statistics.

There's a small difference between the annual PCA release and the monthly administrative data. This means that they may not match exactly. In the annual PCA national statistics, the classification of a drug is taken from the latest month in the data, and all data attributed to that classification even if it has changed throughout the year. The monthly PCA data uses the classification of the drug as it was in the month the data relates to.

For example, if a drug changed classification in July of the given year to an appliance, in the annual PCA national statistics all data would be shown against the record that has been classified as an appliance. In the monthly PCA data, the drug would be shown as a drug in the months up to July, and then would be displayed as an appliance in the July data onwards.

This would also apply if a drug changed classification from being a generic drug with only proprietary versions available (class 2) to a generic drug with generic versions available (class 1). In the annual PCA national statistics, all data for the year would be shown against the class 1 record. In the monthly PCA data, it would be shown against the class 2 record up until the month that the drug changed classification.

View our PCA glossary legacy data (Word: 253KB).

2021 data

PCA data January 2021 (Excel: 1.9MB) PCA data February 2021 (Excel:2.0MB) PCA data March 2021 (Excel:2.0MB)

2020 data

PCA data January 2020 (Excel:2.3MB)

PCA data February 2020 (Excel: 2.2MB)

PCA data March 2020 (Excel:2.3MB)

PCA data April 2020 (Excel:2.2MB)

PCA data May 2020 (Excel:2.2MB)

PCA data June 2020 (Excel:2.2MB)
PCA data July 2020 (Excel:2.2MB)

PCA data August 2020 (Excel:2.2MB)

PCA data September 2020 (Excel:2.0MB)
PCA data October 2020 (Excel 2.0MB)

PCA data November 2020 (Excel 2.0MB)

PCA data December 2020 (Excel: 1.9MB)

2019 data

PCA data January 2019 (Excel: 2.4MB) PCA data February 2019 (Excel: 2.3MB) PCA data March 2019 (Excel: 2.4MB)
PCA data April 2019 (Excel: 2.3MB) PCA data May 2019  (Excel: 2.3MB) PCA data June 2019  (Excel 2.3MB)
PCA data July 2019 (Excel:2.3MB)

PCA data August 2019 (Excel: 2.3MB)

PCA data September 2019 (Excel: 2.3MB)

PCA data October 2019 (Excel: 2.3MB)

PCA data November 2019

(Excel: 2.3MB)

PCA data December 2019

(Excel: 2.3MB)

 

2018 data

PCA data January 2018 (Excel: 2.4MB)  PCA data February 2018 (Excel: 2.4MB) PCA data March 2018 (Excel: 2.4MB)
PCA data April 2018 (Excel: 2.4MB) PCA data May 2018 (Excel: 2.4MB) PCA data June 2018 (Excel: 2.4MB)
PCA data July 2018 (Excel: 2.4MB) PCA data August 2018 (Excel: 2.4MB)

PCA data September 2018 (Excel: 2.4MB)

PCA data October 2018 (Excel: 2.4MB) PCA data November 2018 (Excel: 2.4MB) PCA data December 2018 (Excel: 2.3MB)

2017 data

PCA data January 2017 (Excel: 2.3MB) PCA data February 2017 (Excel: 2.3MB) PCA data March 2017 (Excel: 2.4MB)
PCA data April 2017 (Excel: 2.3MB) PCA data May 2017 (Excel: 2.3MB) PCA data June 2017 (Excel: 2.4MB)
PCA data July 2017 (Excel: 2.4MB) PCA data August 2017 (Excel: 2.3MB)

PCA data September 2017 (Excel: 2.4MB)

PCA data October 2017 (Excel: 2.4MB) PCA data November 2017 (Excel: 2.4 MB) PCA data December 2017 (Excel: 2.4MB)

2016 data

PCA data January 2016 (Excel: 2.4MB)

PCA data February 2016 (Excel: 2.4MB)

PCA data March 2016 (Excel: 2.4MB)

PCA data April 2016 (Excel: 2.4MB)

PCA data May 2016 (Excel: 2.4MB)

PCA data June 2016 (Excel: 2.4MB)

PCA data July 2016 (Excel: 2.4MB)

PCA data August 2016 (Excel: 2.4MB)

PCA data September 2016 (Excel: 2.4MB)

PCA data October 2016 (Excel: 2.4MB)

PCA data November 2016 (Excel: 2.4MB)

PCA data December 2016 (Excel: 2.3MB)

Data from previous years

2015 data

PCA data January 2015 (Excel: 2.3MB)

PCA data February 2015 (Excel: 2.2MB)

PCA data March 2015 (Excel: 2.3MB)

PCA data April 2015 (Excel: 2.2MB)

PCA data May 2015 (Excel: 2.3MB)

PCA data June 2015 (Excel: 2.3MB)

PCA data July 2015 (Excel: 2.3MB)

PCA data August 2015 (Excel: 2.3MB)

PCA data September 2015 (Excel: 2.3MB)

PCA data October 2015 (Excel: 2.3MB)

PCA data November 2015 (Excel: 2.3MB)

PCA data December 2015 (Excel: 2.3MB)

2014 data

PCA data January 2014 (Excel: 2.2MB)

PCA February 2014 (Excel: 2.3MB)

PCA data March 2014 (Excel: 2.2MB)

PCA data April 2014 (Excel: 2.2MB)

PCA data May 2014 (Excel: 2.2MB)

PCA data June 2014 (Excel: 2.2MB)

PCA data July 2014 (Excel: 2.2MB)

PCA data August 2014 (Excel: 2.2MB)

PCA data September 2014 (Excel: 2.2MB)

PCA data October 2014 (excel: 2.2MB)

PCA data November 2014 (Excel: 2.2MB)

PCA data December 2014 (Excel: 2.2MB)

2013 data

PCA data January 2013 (Excel: 4.7MB)

PCA data February 2013 (Excel: 4.7MB)

PCA data March 2013 (Excel: 4.7MB)

PCA data April 2013 (Excel: 4.7MB)

PCA data May 2013 (Excel: 4.7MB)

PCA data June 2013 (Excel: 4.7MB)

PCA data July 2013 (Excel: 4.8MB)

PCA data August 2013 (Excel: 4.8MB)

SCA September 2013 (Excel: 4.8MB)

PCA data October 2013 (Excel: 4.8MB)

PCA data November 2013 (Excel: 3.8MB)

PCA data December 2013 (Excel: 4.8MB)

2012 data

PCA data January 2012 (Excel: 4.5MB)

PCA data February 2012 (Excel: 4.4MB)

PCA data March 2012 (Excel: 4.5MB)

PCA data April 2012 (Excel: 4.5MB)

PCA data May 2012 (Excel: 4.5MB)

PCA data June 2012 (Excel: 4.6MB)

PCA data July 2012 (Excel: 4.6MB)

PCA data August 2012 (Excel: 4.6MB)

PCA data September 2012 (Excel: 4.6MB)

PCA data October 2012 (Excel: 2.6MB)

PCA data November 2012 (Excel: 4.7MB)

PCA data December 2012 (Excel: 4.6MB)

2011 data

PCA data January 2011 (Excel: 9.5MB)

PCA data February 2011 (Excel: 9.5MB)

PCA data March 2011 (Excel: 9.5MB)

PCA data April 2011 (Excel: 9.4MB)

PCA data May 2011 (Excel: 4.4MB)

PCA data June 2011 (Excel: 4.4MB)

PCA data July 2011 (Excel: 4.5MB)

PCA data August 2011 (Excel: 4.4MB)

PCA data September 2011 (Excel: 4.4MB)

PCA data October 2011 (Excel: 4.4MB)

PCA data November 2011 (Excel: 2.5MB)

PCA data December 2011 (Excel: 4.5MB)

2010 data

PCA data January 2010 (Excel: 4.2MB)

PCA data February 2010 (Excel: 4.2MB)

PCA data March 2010 (Excel: 4.3MB)

PCA data April 2010 (Excel: 4.3MB)

PCA data May 2010 (Excel: 4.3MB)

PCA data June 2010 (Excel: 4.4MB)

PCA data July 2010 (Excel: 4.4MB)

PCA data August 2010 (Excel: 4.4MB)

PCA data September 2010 (Excel: 4.4MB)

PCA data October 2010 (Excel: 4.4MB)

PCA data November 2010 (Excel: 4.4MB)

PCA data December 2010 (Excel: 9.5MB)

2009 data

PCA data January 2009 (Excel: 4MB)

PCA data February 2009 (Excel: 4MB)

PCA data March 2009 (Excel: 4.1MB)

PCA data April 2009 (Excel: 4.1MB)

PCA data May 2009 (Excel: 4.1MB)

PCA data June 2009 (Excel: 4.1MB)

PCA data July 2009 (Excel: 4.2MB)

PCA data August 2009 (Excel: 4.1MB)

PCA data September 2009 (Excel: 4.1MB)

PCA data October 2009 (Excel: 4MB)

PCA data November 2009 (Excel: 4MB)

PCA December 2009 (Excel: 4MB)

2008 data

 

PCA data February 2008 (Excel: 4MB)

PCA data March 2008 (Excel: 4MB)

PCA data April 2008 (Excel: 4MB)

PCA data May 2008 (Excel: 4MB)

PCA data June 2008 (Excel: 4MB)

PCA data July 2008 (Excel: 4MB)

PCA data August 2008 (Excel 4MB)

PCA data September 2008 (Excel: 4MB)

PCA data October 2008 (Excel: 4MB)

PCA data November 2008 (Excel: 4MB)

PCA data December 2008 (Excel: 4MB)