Average prescription volume for medications in the ’28-day basket’ medications per month

Standard shorthand is used in this table: [a] = average.

Data values	Data description	Month	Area
27.9 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	March 2019-20	Aneurin Bevan
28.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	March 2019-20	Betsi Cadwaladr
30.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	March 2019-20	Cardiff And Vale
27.9 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	March 2019-20	Cwm Taf Morgannwg
29.2 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	March 2019-20	Hywel Dda
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	March 2019-20	Powys
28.7 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	March 2019-20	Swansea Bay
28.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	March 2019-20	Wales
27.4 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	April 2020-21	Aneurin Bevan
28.1 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	April 2020-21	Betsi Cadwaladr
29.7 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	April 2020-21	Cardiff And Vale
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	April 2020-21	Cwm Taf Morgannwg
28.0 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	April 2020-21	Hywel Dda
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	April 2020-21	Powys
28.0 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	April 2020-21	Swansea Bay
28.0 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	April 2020-21	Wales
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	May 2020-21	Aneurin Bevan
28.2 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	May 2020-21	Betsi Cadwaladr
30.0 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	May 2020-21	Cardiff And Vale
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	May 2020-21	Cwm Taf Morgannwg
28.4 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	May 2020-21	Hywel Dda
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	May 2020-21	Powys
28.1 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	May 2020-21	Swansea Bay
28.2 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	May 2020-21	Wales
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	June 2020-21	Aneurin Bevan
28.2 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	June 2020-21	Betsi Cadwaladr
29.8 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	June 2020-21	Cardiff And Vale
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	June 2020-21	Cwm Taf Morgannwg
28.3 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	June 2020-21	Hywel Dda
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	June 2020-21	Powys
28.0 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	June 2020-21	Swansea Bay
28.1 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	June 2020-21	Wales
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	July 2020-21	Aneurin Bevan
28.2 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	July 2020-21	Betsi Cadwaladr
29.9 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	July 2020-21	Cardiff And Vale
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	July 2020-21	Cwm Taf Morgannwg
28.3 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	July 2020-21	Hywel Dda
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	July 2020-21	Powys
28.1 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	July 2020-21	Swansea Bay
28.1 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	July 2020-21	Wales
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	August 2020-21	Aneurin Bevan
28.1 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	August 2020-21	Betsi Cadwaladr
29.7 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	August 2020-21	Cardiff And Vale
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	August 2020-21	Cwm Taf Morgannwg
28.2 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	August 2020-21	Hywel Dda
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	August 2020-21	Powys
28.0 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	August 2020-21	Swansea Bay
28.0 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	August 2020-21	Wales
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	September 2020-21	Aneurin Bevan
28.2 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	September 2020-21	Betsi Cadwaladr
29.9 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	September 2020-21	Cardiff And Vale
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	September 2020-21	Cwm Taf Morgannwg
28.4 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	September 2020-21	Hywel Dda
27.7 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	September 2020-21	Powys
28.0 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	September 2020-21	Swansea Bay
28.1 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	September 2020-21	Wales
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	October 2020-21	Aneurin Bevan
28.2 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	October 2020-21	Betsi Cadwaladr
29.8 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	October 2020-21	Cardiff And Vale
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	October 2020-21	Cwm Taf Morgannwg
28.3 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	October 2020-21	Hywel Dda
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	October 2020-21	Powys
28.0 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	October 2020-21	Swansea Bay
28.1 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	October 2020-21	Wales
27.4 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	November 2020-21	Aneurin Bevan
28.1 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	November 2020-21	Betsi Cadwaladr
29.7 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	November 2020-21	Cardiff And Vale
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	November 2020-21	Cwm Taf Morgannwg
28.2 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	November 2020-21	Hywel Dda
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	November 2020-21	Powys
28.0 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	November 2020-21	Swansea Bay
28.0 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	November 2020-21	Wales
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	December 2020-21	Aneurin Bevan
28.2 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	December 2020-21	Betsi Cadwaladr
29.9 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	December 2020-21	Cardiff And Vale
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	December 2020-21	Cwm Taf Morgannwg
28.4 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	December 2020-21	Hywel Dda
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	December 2020-21	Powys
28.1 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	December 2020-21	Swansea Bay
28.2 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	December 2020-21	Wales
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	January 2020-21	Aneurin Bevan
28.1 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	January 2020-21	Betsi Cadwaladr
29.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	January 2020-21	Cardiff And Vale
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	January 2020-21	Cwm Taf Morgannwg
28.2 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	January 2020-21	Hywel Dda
27.6 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	January 2020-21	Powys
27.9 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	January 2020-21	Swansea Bay
28.0 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	January 2020-21	Wales
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	February 2020-21	Aneurin Bevan
28.0 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	February 2020-21	Betsi Cadwaladr
29.9 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	February 2020-21	Cardiff And Vale
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	February 2020-21	Cwm Taf Morgannwg
28.2 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	February 2020-21	Hywel Dda
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	February 2020-21	Powys
28.0 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	February 2020-21	Swansea Bay
28.1 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	February 2020-21	Wales
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	March 2020-21	Aneurin Bevan
28.1 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	March 2020-21	Betsi Cadwaladr
29.7 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	March 2020-21	Cardiff And Vale
27.5 [a]	Average prescription volume for medications	March 2020-21	Cwm Taf Morgannwg

Showing 1 to 100 of 488 rows

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Next update expected:September 2026

Updates

• 2nd October 2025: Dataset first published.

Main information

• Designation: Official statistics
• Data provider: NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership
• Data source: Prescribing Services
• Time period covered: April 2019 to March 2025

Overview

• Summary of dataset and variables:

  This dataset is based on items prescribed by any Welsh general practice staff member, qualified to prescribe, which are subsequently dispensed in the community in the UK. 'Items’ refer to each different medicine or appliance listed on a prescription regardless of quantity or volume. Only items which are dispensed are counted. In October 2022, the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group recommended that longer prescribing intervals, where clinically appropriate would benefit patients and healthcare providers. For example, if a patient is usually prescribed medication in 28 day intervals they could instead be prescribed 56 day intervals, which would reduce administration time and costs for healthcare providers and reduce the frequency of medication collection for the patient. As the same items can be prescribed in various forms (liquid/tablets/powder) and in different volumes, it is not possible to measure the volume of items prescribed accurately. However, a sample of 54 medications, known as the ‘28-day basket’ of medications can be used as an approximation of prescription volume. These 54 medications are usually taken as once-daily doses, therefore the total quantity doses divided by the number of times the item is prescribed can give an indication of the average number of days of treatment prescribed .

• Data collection or calculation:

  Prescriptions data are obtained from Prescribing Services, NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership and are based on information on prescription forms sent by the prescriber for payment.

• Statistical quality:

  See associated statistical release and quality report for detailed notes, background and definitions.

• Related reports:
  • Statistical Release

Published by

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

Metadata

The metadata for this dataset is not included when you download the data. You can download this separately. This contains all the information from the 'About this dataset' tab.