Clozapine and Lithium prescription data 2014 to 2025

​Request 823404058​

We would like information on clozapine (ATC code N05AH02) and lithium (ATC N05AN) dispensing annually in Jersey for 2014-2025 (inclusive). If only data is available until 2024, this is acceptable also. We are conducting an international study of the utilisation rates of these medications and aim to compare medicines utilisation in defined daily doses/1,000 inhabitants/day. To calculate this, we would like to request the information about both drugs separately and for each year included in the study:

1. Number of DDD/1000 inhabitants/day (if calculated) or

2. DDDs dispensed per year

3. Number of tablets dispensed annually of all lithium and clozapine strength preparations (numbers for each preparation strength provided separately). From this we can calculate DDDs.​

Response

Data for the total number of preparations dispensed (or issued to inpatient wards) and the total number of tablets or mLs issued per year by Health and Care Jersey’s (HCJ’s) Pharmacy are detailed here HCJ Pharmacy data. Medications are listed alphabetically under the generic name (includes any branded medicines), by formulation.

Records are available to report data for the past 10 years, for the period from 2016 to 2025; it is not possible to report data for earlier years. Therefore, Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies in respect of information for 2014 and 2015.

HCJ’s Pharmacy dispenses inpatient medications and take-home prescriptions for patients being discharged, outpatient prescriptions, and those required for Emergency Department attendances and Day cases, as well as issuing ward stock.​

HCJ does not hold information on community pharmacy dispensing for prescriptions by GPs or private clinics. Clozapine is a hospital-only prescription, so these figures represent all preparations issued in Jersey for the timeframe. Lithium may be prescribed and dispensed in the community; information for prescriptions dispensed under the Health Insurance Fund is held by Employment, Social Security and Housing.

Data for annual prescriptions of lithium dispensed in the community under the Health Insurance Fund, from 2019 to 2023, are available in a Freedom of Information response published to www.gov.je in July 2024 FOI. Table 2: Annual prescriptions dispensed in community under the Health Insurance Fund (specified medications), from 2019 to 2023.​

As this information is available elsewhere, Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Articles applied

Article 3 Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if:

(a) it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b) it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

Article 23 Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1)     Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2)     A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.