Skip to main content Skip to accessibility
This website is not compatible with your web browser. You should install a newer browser. If you live in Jersey and need help upgrading call the States of Jersey web team on 440099.
Government of Jerseygov.je

Information and public services for the Island of Jersey

L'înformâtion et les sèrvices publyis pouor I'Île dé Jèrri

Paracetamol costs and prescriptions (FOI)

Paracetamol costs and prescriptions (FOI)

Produced by the Freedom of Information office
Authored by States of Jersey and published on 25 August 2016.

​​Request

Please would you be able to tell me:

A

How much did the States spend on prescription paracetamol in 2015, 2014 and so far this year?

B

How many prescriptions were issued for the drug in 2015, 2014 and so far this year?

C

What price do the States pay for paracetamol per tablet?

Resp​​onse

This request has been answered by the Health and Social Services Department and the Social Security Department.

A and B

The response is provided in the tables below.

The first table shows the quantity and cost of paracetamol dispensed by primary care, ie GP prescriptions dispensed at pharmacies. 

The second table shows paracetamol used by the Health and Social Services Department, ie ward stock at the General Hospital and Overdale Hospital etc.

It is not possible to provide the number of prescriptions issued within the hospital as this information is not held. 

Paracetamol is widely used for inpatients and is held as stock on wards and departments so only the total quantity used can be provided.

Table 1: 

​Paracetamol20142015​​2016 (Jan to June)
Number of ​Prescriptions 32,063​33,201​17,168
​Drug costs​£129,564.00 ​£135,589.00  ​£70,667
​Average cost per prescription

£4.04  

​£4.08​£4.12

 

Table 2:​​​

 

​Medicine

 

​Pack size

​Total number of packs issued January 2014 to December 2014 ​Total number of packs issued January 2015 to December 2015 ​Total number of packs issued January 2016 to July 2016
​Paracetamol 500mg tablets​100  ​2,508  ​2,458  ​1,453
​Paracetamol 500mg tablets​32​8,630  ​8,375  ​4,372
​Paracetamol 500mg soluble tablets​24560  ​389  ​259
​Paracetamol 120mg in 5mL Liquid​100mL​87​100​79
​Paracetamol 250mg in 5mL liquid​100mL  ​710  ​610  ​351
​Paracetamol 250mg in 5mL liquid ​500mL​1,505  ​1,724  ​720
​Paracetamol Suppositories 60mg​105​4​3​
​Paracetamol Suppositories 120mg ​1029​​3417​
​Paracetamol Suppositories 240mg​1013​24​9​
​Paracetamol Suppositories 500mg​1055​42​27
​Paracetamol Suppositories 1g ​1053​70​29​
​Paracetamol infusion 500mg in 50mL ​1020​21​7​
​Paracetamol Infusion 1g in 100mL ​101,603​1,501​933​
​Total cost of all paracetamol preparations ​​  £22,478​£22,393​£12,654

     

This data relates to all forms of paracetamol issued by the hospital and intravenous paracetamol accounts for over half of the hospital spend on paracetamol products.

C

The unit price of a tablet is commercially sensitive and is therefore exempt under Article 33 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2012. However, the total overall cost of paracetamol has been provided in the tables above.

Community pharmacies are reimbursed at the same price as pharmacies in England and Wales, and this price varies from month to month. For a box of 100 paracetamol 500mg tablets, the reimbursement price in July 2016 was £2.31.

Exemptions and/or refusals applied to this request:

Article 33 Commercial interests 

Information is qualified exempt information if:

(a) it constitutes a trade secret; or 

(b) its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of a person (including the scheduled public authority holding the information). 

Back to top
rating button