Canterbury DHB distribution/dispensing data for influenza vaccine, antidepressants and anxiolytics

Request for information relating to the number of doses and prescriptions distributed for Canterbury.

16 October 2020

Dear [name and contact details redacted]

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Thank you for your request dated 18 September 2020 under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) for information relating to Canterbury distribution/dispensing data for the influenza vaccine, antidepressants and anxiety treatments. You asked for:

  1. Total number of influenza doses distributed for Canterbury between 2016 – current date, broken down by year.
  2. Total number of antidepressants prescriptions for Canterbury between 2016 – current date, broken down by year. This includes all antidepressants listed in the New Zealand Pharmaceutical Schedule.
  3. Total number of prescriptions for the treatment of anxiety for Canterbury between 2016 – current date, broken down by year. This includes all anxiolytics listed in the New Zealand Pharmaceutical Schedule.

Please note that we are still confirming Canterbury distribution/dispensing data for the influenza vaccine. We will advise you on the outcome in due course. [Refer to 13 November 2020: OIA response: Canterbury DHB distribution data for influenza vaccine.]

Please refer to the tables below for the antidepressants and anxiety treatments data requested.

Table 1: Antidepressants dispensed in Canterbury DHB

Year

Prescriptions

2020*

163,309

2019

274,708

2018

262,388

2017

255,322

2016

242,938

*data to 31 July 2020 (inclusive).

Note that the data in Table 1 contains the total number of prescriptions, broken down by year. This includes repeat prescriptions, meaning it does not accurately reflect the number of people using antidepressants.

Table 2: Anxiolytics dispensed in Canterbury DHB

Year

Prescriptions

2020*

35,537

2019

58,775

2018

55,329

2017

53,842

2016

53,406

*data to 31 July 2020 (inclusive).

Note that the data in Table 2 contains the total number of prescriptions, broken down by year. This includes repeat prescriptions, meaning it does not accurately reflect the number of people using anxiolytics.

We trust that this information answers your queries.  We are making our information more freely available, so we will now publish selected OIA responses (excluding personal details) on our website.  Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about this.

Yours sincerely 

Rachel Read
Manager, Policy and Government Services