Assume there are 10 pharmacy branches located in different areas, each with a unique ODSCode (A1, A2, …, A10), all managed by a single entity, A. Is there a way to retrieve information about the managing entity using the NHS API?
Hi Rizwaanullah,
The NHS Organisation Data Service (ODS) is responsible for issuing and maintaining codes for organisations that interact with NHS services in England. Each organisation (including independent pharmacies) is given a unique ODS code. However:
- Pharmacies in ODS are typically listed as individual sites, each with its own ODS code.
- Chain or group ownership (such as multiple pharmacy branches belonging to one corporate entity) is not captured in the standard ODS records.
- The ODS database does sometimes include relationships such as “is part of” for GP Practices and their associated Primary Care Networks, or for NHS Trusts and their constituent hospitals, but it does not systematically include corporate management relationships for retail pharmacies.
Searching/retrieving entity info for Pharmacies using the NHS ODS APIs
APIs or data feeds (such as the ODS API v2 or NHS Service Finder) provide metadata on each pharmacy - including:
- Basic details: Name, address, postcode, and contact details.
- ODS code: Unique identifier assigned to that specific branch/location.
What you will NOT typically see is:
- A field indicating the parent entity (for example, “Lloyds,” “Boots,” or a smaller chain name).
- Any grouping of multiple branches under one organisation/company.
In short, the standard NHS Organisation Data (ODS) endpoints do not generally store or expose a “parent” or “managing entity” relationship for multiple pharmacy branches. Currently each pharmacy is listed as an independent organisation with its own ODS code and address details, but the NHS ODS does not systematically capture corporate-ownership or chain relationships for pharmacies. Therefore, if you have 10 pharmacy branches (A1, A2, …, A10) all owned by a single managing entity “A,” there is no NHS API endpoint or ODS field that will show “A” as the parent/manager of those branches.
Hope the above helps.
Thanks,
NHS England API Platform team
Please note: The API Platform team can only address queries relevant to the NHS England API platform, including security, rate limiting, logging, monitoring and alerting. For any API specific queries, please reach out the relevant API teams.