Emergency medicines supply: most frequently supplied items by year

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Table

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Data valuesData descriptionYearItem
1,438Number of items prescribed2024-25Sertraline 100mg tablets 28 tablet
2,992Number of items prescribed2024-25Salamol 100micrograms/dose inhaler CFC free (Teva UK Ltd) 200 dose
2,247Number of items prescribed2024-25Ventolin 100micrograms/dose Evohaler (GlaxoSmithKline UK Ltd) 200 dose
2,041Number of items prescribed2024-25Amlodipine 5mg tablets 28 tablet
1,868Number of items prescribed2024-25Atorvastatin 20mg tablets 28 tablet
1,792Number of items prescribed2024-25Levothyroxine sodium 100microgram tablets 28 tablet
1,610Number of items prescribed2024-25Omeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant capsules 28 capsule
1,592Number of items prescribed2024-25Ramipril 2.5mg capsules 28 capsule
1,539Number of items prescribed2024-25FreeStyle Libre 2 Sensor (Abbott Laboratories Ltd) 1 kit
1,510Number of items prescribed2024-25Sertraline 50mg tablets 28 tablet
4,448Number of items prescribed2023-24Amlodipine 5mg tablets 28 tablet
2,351Number of items prescribed2023-24Amlodipine 10mg tablets 28 tablet
2,420Number of items prescribed2023-24Citalopram 20mg tablets 28 tablet
2,491Number of items prescribed2023-24Levothyroxine sodium 100microgram tablets 28 tablet
2,514Number of items prescribed2023-24Ventolin 100micrograms/dose Evohaler (GlaxoSmithKline UK Ltd) 200 dose
3,460Number of items prescribed2023-24Atorvastatin 20mg tablets 28 tablet
3,656Number of items prescribed2023-24Sertraline 50mg tablets 28 tablet
3,718Number of items prescribed2023-24Sertraline 100mg tablets 28 tablet
3,726Number of items prescribed2023-24Omeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant capsules 28 capsule
2,309Number of items prescribed2023-24Ramipril 2.5mg capsules 28 capsule
3,515Number of items prescribed2022-23Amlodipine 5mg tablets 28 tablet
1,870Number of items prescribed2022-23Ramipril 2.5mg capsules 28 capsule
1,921Number of items prescribed2022-23Amlodipine 10mg tablets 28 tablet
2,087Number of items prescribed2022-23Citalopram 20mg tablets 28 tablet
2,150Number of items prescribed2022-23Levothyroxine sodium 100microgram tablets 28 tablet
Showing 1 to 25 of 82 rows
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Next update expected:2027

Updates

12th March 2026
Dataset first published.

Main information

Designation
Official statistics
Data provider
NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership
Data source
Prescribing Services
Time period covered
April 2017 to March 2025

Overview

Summary of dataset and variables

The Emergency Medicines Supply Service (EMS) is an NHS service provided by community pharmacies in Wales. It allows patients to receive a short‑term supply of their previously prescribed medicines when they have an urgent need and cannot obtain a prescription in time. This dataset shows the ten most frequently supplied medicines by pharmacists through EMS in each year.

Medicines supplied through EMS are not coded in the exact same way as medicines that are dispensed by pharmacies through prescriptions. Therefore they are not grouped by British National Formulary Chapter like prescriptions data are.

Medicines are grouped by how they are recorded in the raw data, which normally include the brand or drug name, dosage and form of the medicine. Therefore, the same medicine maybe recorded multiple times in the dataset if it has a different dosage and/or form.

The ten most frequently supplied items may differ between years, so full time series analysis of medicines is limited. The variables are: Year – the financial year in which the supply was recorded, medicine item – the name of the medicine supplied and items supplied – the number of times the item was supplied under the service.

Data collection or calculation

Data are collected from routine claims submitted by community pharmacies for Emergency Medicines Supply. Each claim includes details of the medicine supplied. Data are extracted and aggregated to produce annual totals. Items are ranked within each year based on the total number supplied. No estimation or modelling is used.

Statistical quality

The data are derived from administrative claims. They reflect items claimed and processed for payment. Data quality depends on accurate claim submission and coding of medicines. Late claims or adjustments may affect totals.

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Published by

Organisation
Welsh Government
Contact email
stats.healthinfo@gov.wales