Publication, Part of Proposed Dispensing Feescales for GMS contractors in England and Wales
Proposed Dispensing Feescales for GMS Contractors, England and Wales - 2023, October release
Average Volume Change
Average Annual Volume Change
Table 3: Volume changes from 2020/21 to 2022/23
| Year | Total number of fees | Increase on previous year (number) | Increase on previous year (%) | Historical Average Increase (%) |
| 2020/21 | 84,021,937 | n/a | n/a | N/A |
| 2021/22 | 85,631,556 | 1,609,619 | 1.916% | 2.0923% |
| 2022/23 | 87,574,782 | 1,943,226 | 2.269% |
Source: NHS Prescription Services “Dispensing Doctors Report” and “Personal Administration Report” at https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/prescription-data/dispensing-data/pd1-reports. Total number of prescriptions is the totals A & B & C in column Presc (No. of Fees) of each year from the Statistical Data Relating to Personal Administration Claims by Prescribing Doctors added to the totals A & B & C in column Presc (No. of Fees) for the Statistical Data Relating to Prescriptions Dispensed by Dispensing Doctors.
Historical average annual volume change over last two years
Formula to calculate average percentage increase over last two years is:
Total fees for 1st year x (1 + A) 2 = Total fees for 3rd year
Where A = annual percentage increase
84,021,937 x (1 + A) 2 = 87,574,782
(1 + A) 2 = 87,574,782 / 84,021,937
(1 + A) 2 = 1.0423
(1 + A) = √ 1.0423
(1 + A) = 1.02092
A = 1.02092 -1
Therefore A = 0.02092
Average volume increase over 2 years = 2.092 per cent
= 2.09 per cent
Note: The Geometric Mean has been used to calculate the average percentage change in fees. The Geometric Mean is a measure of the average value of a set of numbers by using the product of their values (as opposed to the arithmetic mean which uses their sum), and is calculated by multiplying all values together where n is the count of the number of values and then calculating the nth root.
Average October to March Volume Change
Table 4: Volume changes from 2020/21 to 2022/23 for Prescriptions dispensed between October and March
| Year | Total number of fees | Increase on previous year (number) | Increase on previous year (%) | Historical Average Increase (%) |
| 2020/21 | 45,426,500 | n/a | n/a | N/A |
| 2021/22 | 46,822,943 | 1,396,443 | 3.074% | 3.154% |
| 2022/23 | 48,337,038 | 1,514,095 | 3.234% |
Source: NHS Prescription Services “Dispensing Doctors Report” and “Personal Administration Report” at https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/prescription-data/dispensing-data/pd1-reports. Total number of prescriptions is the total for October to March in column Presc (No. of Fees) of each year from the Statistical Data Relating to Personal Administration Claims by Prescribing Doctors added to the total for October to March in column Presc (No. of Fees) for the Statistical Data Relating to Prescriptions Dispensed by Dispensing Doctors.
Historical average October to March volume change over last two years
Formula to calculate average percentage increase over last two years is:
Total fees for 1st year x (1 + B) 2 = Total fees for 3rd year
Where B = October to March percentage increase
45,426,500 x (1 + B) 2 = 48,337,038
(1 + B) 2 = 48,337,038 / 45,426,500
(1 + B) 2 = 1.0641
(1 + B) = √ 1.0641
(1 + B) = 1.03154
B = 1.03154 -1
Therefore B = 0.03154
Average volume increase for October to March over 2 years = 3.154 per cent
= 3.154 per cent
Note: The Geometric Mean has been used to calculate the average percentage change in fees. The Geometric Mean is a measure of the average value of a set of numbers by using the product of their values (as opposed to the arithmetic mean which uses their sum), and is calculated by multiplying all values together where n is the count of the number of values and then calculating the nth root.
Last edited: 26 September 2023 11:13 am