Medications

Summary

The requester asked for the number of daily medications costing over specific thresholds and the number of people taking them, but the Department of Health and Social Care could not provide this specific data due to variable pricing and prescription durations. Instead, the authority disclosed a list of the top 25 most expensive drugs issued over the last 12 months, including their costs and quantities.

Key Facts

• The Department of Health and Social Care does not hold data on the exact number of daily medications costing over £2k, £3k, £4k, or £5k because drug prices change monthly and prescription durations vary.
• Information regarding the specific number of people taking these high-cost medications was also not held or could not be found.
• As an alternative, the Department provided a list of the top 25 most expensive drugs issued over the last 12 months.
• The total cost for the 25 listed drugs was £253,249.79, with a total of 8,597 items issued.
• The most expensive individual item listed was Imuvac_Vac 0.5ml Pfs at £4,324.92 per item.

Data Disclosed

• 2017-10-10
• 2017-11-17
• £4,324.92
• £3,782.50
• £2,748.62
• £253,249.79
• 8,597
• 25
• 12 months

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Department of Health and Social Care

Rheynn Slaynt as Kiarail y Theay

Page 1 of 3 FOIA/DHSC/rvsd/01

Chief Executive: Malcolm Couch

By email:

Freedom of Information Team Department of Health & Social Care Chief Executive’s Office Crookall House Demesne Road Douglas Isle of Man, IM1 3QA Tel: Email: Website: Date: FOI Reference: (01624) 642621 foi.dhsc@gov.im www.gov.im/dhsc 17 November 2017 IM106-296i

Dear

REQUEST UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2015 (“the Act”) Thank you for your request to the Department of Health and Social Care, dated 10 October 2017

Your request You asked for: Question 01: “How many daily medications cost more than 2k, 3k 4k and 5k and over.” Question 02: “How many people are taking these medications and what is the daily of cost of all of the above from 2k up.”
Response to your request We are pleased to be able to provide a response to your request with answers to your questions: Question 01: How many daily medications cost more than 2k, 3k 4k and 5k and over While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Department of Health and Social Care does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested. This is because drug prices change monthly and the amounts prescribed vary from a single dose / use up to multiple doses for lifetime. To offer you some assistance, the Department has identified the following list as the top 25 most expensive drugs over the last 12 months and how many of each have been issued.

Page 2 of 3 FOIA/DHSC/rvsd/01 BNF Name Act Cost Per Item Total Act Cost Total Items Imuvac_Vac 0.5ml Pfs £4,324.92 £21,624.60 5 Ins Humulin R_500u/ml 20ml Vl £3,782.50 £26,477.49 7 Enzira_Vac Inact 0.5ml Pfs £2,748.62 £5,497.23 2 Dapsone_Liq Spec 5mg/5ml £2,614.19 £31,370.29 12 Filgrastim_Inj 30mega u/0.5ml Pfs £2,229.63 £4,459.26 2 Aztreonam_Pdr+SolvForNebSoln 75mg Vl+Dev £2,021.15 £14,148.05 7 Ustekinumab_Inj 45mg/0.5ml Pfs £1,989.04 £11,934.22 6 Adalimumab_Inj 40mg/0.4ml Pf Pen £1,959.00 £1,959.00 1 Adalimumab_Inj 40mg/0.8ml Pfs £1,956.59 £7,826.36 4 Posaconazole_Tab 100mg G/R £1,934.29 £3,868.57 2 Deferasirox_Disper Tab 500mg S/F £1,743.24 £6,972.97 4 Exjade_Disper Tab 500mg £1,743.23 £1,743.23 1 Aranesp_Inj 150mcg/0.3ml Pfs £1,631.70 £3,263.39 2 Adalimumab_Inj 40mg/0.4ml Pfs £1,630.19 £8,150.93 5 Bosentan_Tab 125mg £1,398.60 £16,783.25 12 Pulmozyme_Neb Soln 2.5mg/2.5ml Amp £1,380.21 £4,140.62 3 Voriconazole_Tab 200mg £1,354.03 £5,416.13 4 Lanreotide_Inj 120mg/0.5ml Pfs £1,302.03 £2,604.06 2 Norditropin NordiFlex_Inj15mg/1.5mlPfPen £1,288.21 £10,305.66 8 Sod Oxybate_Oral Soln 2.5g/5ml S/F £1,282.15 £16,668.00 13 Avonex_Inj 30mcg/0.5ml Pfs £1,212.28 £1,212.28 1 Valganciclovir HCl_Tab 450mg £1,168.45 £3,505.36 3 Darbepoetin Alfa_Inj 100mcg/0.5ml Pf Pen £1,086.66 £1,086.66 1 Avonex_Inj 30mcg/0.5ml Pf Pen £1,059.85 £25,436.49 24 PKU Maxamum_Pdr (Orange) £987.98 £16,795.69 17 Total £253,249.79 8,597

Question 02: How many people are taking these medications and what is the daily of cost of all of the above from 2k up. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Department does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested.

Page 3 of 3 FOIA/DHSC/rvsd/01 Your right to request a review
If you are unhappy with this response to your Freedom of Information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post to the FOI Co-ordinator, Department of Health & Social Care, Chief Executive’s Officer, Crookall House, Demesne Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 3QA. An electronic version and paper version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website www.gov.im/about-the-government/freedom-of-information/how-to- make-a-freedom-of-information-request/ . Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.
If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on:

1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act; or
2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
   In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision.
   Further information about Freedom of Information requests can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at: www.inforights.im/information-centre/freedom-of-information. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact us. Yours Sincerely

Freedom of Information Team Department of Health and Social Care