We can look at our own prescription numbers and this will provide useful data. But to understand it further we should create context for this data. This can be done by comparing our numbers with those of local pharmacies with whom we compete for prescriptions.

This will give us some idea of our share of the local market. In this we will not be able to identify prescriptions that lost to the local pharmacies and sent to distance selling pharmacies.

We can take this a step further by identifying the number of prescriptions dispensed for each local practice (the total number written is not necessarily the total number dispensed).

This will provide a better understanding of the total market for dispensing. All this data is in the public domain and can be found on the internet.

Further context is provided by segmenting our prescriptions and this creates better understanding.