Cost to NHS Scotland of prescribing paracetamol tablets: FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
1. The annual cost to NHS Scotland of prescribing paracetamol tablets 500mg from 2015 to 2024 inclusive, including both drug costs and any dispensing or professional fees.
2. If possible, the average cost per pack to NHS Scotland during this period compared with the approximate retail cost.
3. Any internal reports, memos, or ministerial briefings discussing the costs of paracetamol prescribing in Scotland since 2018.
Please provide the data in electronic form.
Response
I will respond to each part of your request numerically.
1. The annual cost to NHS Scotland of prescribing paracetamol tablets 500mg from 2015 to 2024 inclusive, including both drug costs and any dispensing or professional fees.
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested and we are unable to provide you with the requested information as per FOISA Section 17(1) information not held.
Public Health Scotland (PHS) are the authority responsible for the publication of prescribing statistics in Scotland. PHS publishes a yearly report named the ‘Dispenser Payments and Prescription Cost Analysis’ which outlines annual total dispensing volumes and cost for all medications dispensed, including paracetamol, from community pharmacies in Scotland. Reports dating back to the financial year 2019/20 onwards can be found on the PHS website at https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/show-all-releases?id=20529. As stated on the PHS website, versions of this publication released before 16 March 2020 may be found on the Data and Intelligence, Health Protection Scotland or Improving Health websites. A request for information may be made to PHS Your FOI request - Freedom of Information (FOI) and Environmental Information Regulation (EIR) requests - Contact us - Public Health Scotland or alternatively by email to PHS.FOI@phs.scot.
For the most recent publication (2024/25), published in October 2025, you can find details on the volume dispensed and the associated costs on ‘Tab 5 – Individual Preparation’ with Paracetamol 500mg Tablets recorded in row 3353. Please be aware that the row may differ across each year’s report.
While it is known that PHS hold data on prescriber fees for the dispensing of medicines, including Paracetamol 500mg, it is not data held by the Scottish Government. A request for information under the FOISA (2002) Act can be made to PHS.FOI@phs.scot.
2. If possible, the average cost per pack to NHS Scotland during this period compared with the approximate retail cost.
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested and we are unable to provide you with the requested information as per FOISA Section 17(1) information not held.
The Scottish Government has no requirement to record the retail cost of medicines. Please see the Prescription Cost Analysis signposted above for the average cost per pack of paracetamol 500mg tablets dispensing as an NHS item during this period.
3. Any internal reports, memos, or ministerial briefings discussing the costs of paracetamol prescribing in Scotland since 2018.
I enclose a copy of most of the information you have requested in word document format. I have shared a list of all the documents and what has and hasn’t been disclosed in Annex A (see attached).
Section 38(1)(b) of FOISA was applied to some of the information in the released documents as it contained personal information relating to personnel of the Scottish Government or other public sector bodies. This has meant some information in the released documents was redacted. This exemption has been applied to all of the released documents and therefore all have been redacted. This exemption has been applied to the documents as disclosing this information would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.
An exemption under section 30(b)(ii) of FOISA (free and frank provision of advice) applies to document 6 for release. This exemption applies because disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially the free and frank exchange of views. This exemption recognises the need for officials to have a private space within which to provide free and frank advice to Ministers before the Scottish Government reaches a settled public view. Disclosing the content of free and frank exchange of views discussing the management of public finances would likely substantially inhibit the exchange of such views in future.
This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest in allowing a private space within which officials can exchange full and frank views, as part of the process of exploring and refining the Government’s policy position. This private thinking space is essential to enable all options to be properly considered, based on the best available advice, so that good policy decisions can be taken. Disclosure is likely to undermine the full and frank discussion of issues between Ministers and officials, which in turn will undermine the quality of the policy making process, which would not be in the public interest.
An exemption under section 22 of FOISA (Information intended for future publication and research information) applies to document 6 for release. Much of the discussion in the paper relates to future budgets yet to be agreed with the Scottish Parliament. As we will publish this data once budgets are agreed, we consider your request is covered by Section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act (information intended for future publication) and the information you have asked for is therefore exempt from disclosure. Section 22 is a qualified exemption which means we have considered whether there is a greater public interest in releasing the information requested or withholding it. On balance, while there is an interest in internal financial discussions within the Scottish Government, publishing the data may inhibit the agreement and delivery of an effective budget. Therefore, it is in the public interest for the data to be withheld.
About FOI
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Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG