Bòrd SSN nan Eilean Siar

Western Isles NHS Board

Public Health & Health Strategy Division

37 South Beach

Stornoway

Western Isles HS1 2BB

Telephone 01851 702997

Fax 01851 704405

www.wihb.org.uk

Private & Confidential

Stephen Christie

Press & Journal

Date: 3^rd December 2009

Your Ref:

Our Ref: FOI Req 331

Enquiries to:

Extension: 3031

Direct Line: 01851 708031

E-mail: [email address]

Dear Mr Christie

Request for information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

Further to your recent enquiry under the Freedom of Information Act, please find our response below. In your request you asked for the following information:-

The total number of Viagra prescriptions issued by NHS Western Isles over the past five years with information broken down into respective years.

Response:

Total items dispensed for 5 years to 31st August 2009 in Western Isles was 2,566.

In each year the total items dispensed was as follows:

1st September 2004 - 31st August 2005 = 463

1st September 2005 - 31st August 2006 = 537

1st September 2006 - 31st August 2007 = 509

1st September 2007 - 31st August 2008 = 536

1st September 2008 - 31st August 2009 = 521

Notes: Total items dispensed is a measure of the number of times an item appears on a prescription and is not a measure of the number of times an item is dispensed eg. Prescription with weekly dispensings of Sildenafil 25mg for one month's supply would appear as a single item above although the prescription may be dispensed 4 times on weekly basis.

If you dissatisfied with the way NHS Western Isles has dealt with your request, you have a right to request a review of our actions and decisions in relation to your request. For this review you should write to Information Governance Manager, NHS Western Isles, 37 South Beach Street, Stornoway Isle of Lewis, HS1 2BB within 40 working days of the date of this correspondence.

If, following the outcome of a request for review, you are still dissatisfied you have the right to make an application for a decision by the Scottish Information Commissioner under section 47(1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. The Commissioner can be contacted at Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS or by telephone on 01334 464610.

If you have any further queries regarding this response please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Maggie Fraser

Communications Manager

Continued

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