Dexamethasone and aflibercept Community dispensing/DHB purchasing data for 2019/20 and 2020/21

Thank you for your request dated 25 March 2022 under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) for information relating to dexamethasone and aflibercept. 

You requested we provide information to you per the excel template included in your request. Please find attached a copy of the excel template, with data populated in the tables provided, attached with this response. 

Please note, we are unable to provide information for tables 5 and 6 as we do not collect or hold indication data for patients treated in hospital (section 18(g) of the OIA). Additionally, where fewer than 10 patients or units are counted, we have changed the number to "<10" as we believe this is necessary to protect the privacy of these people (section 9(2)(a) of the OIA). 

We approach our assessment of requests for information under the OIA on the basis that once we release the information to you it becomes available to any other party in that exact form (whether by you distributing it to others or by virtue of us receiving the same request from a different third party). As required under the OIA, we considered whether, in the circumstances, the withholding of this information was outweighed by other considerations which render it desirable, in the public interest, to make this information available. In this case we did not consider that the public interest outweighed the reasons for withholding the information. 

Please note you have the right, by way of complaint under section 28(3) of the OIA to an Ombudsman, to seek an investigation and review of our decision. 

We trust that this information answers your queries. 

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