NHS dispensing and prescribing data for England
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Items dispensed nationally, April 2026
NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis
BNF presentations tracked
NHSBSA BNF code register
Dispensing practices, 38 of 42 ICBs
NHSBSA dispensing practice register
Most-dispensed medicines
By items dispensed in England, April 2026
| # | Medicine | Items | Net cost | MoM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atorvastatin | 6,648,832 | £6,150,569 | -1.7% |
| 2 | Amlodipine | 3,487,398 | £2,879,941 | -2% |
| 3 | Lansoprazole | 3,176,810 | £3,651,497 | -1.7% |
| 4 | Ramipril | 3,061,548 | £4,891,812 | -2.2% |
| 5 | Levothyroxine sodium | 2,906,317 | £3,454,417 | -2.2% |
| 6 | Omeprazole | 2,895,388 | £8,130,781 | -2.4% |
| 7 | Bisoprolol fumarate | 2,640,839 | £5,156,416 | -1.4% |
| 8 | Colecalciferol | 2,491,057 | £10,664,280 | -1.5% |
| 9 | Metformin hydrochloride | 2,297,528 | £5,058,201 | -1.5% |
| 10 | Sertraline hydrochloride | 2,190,016 | £3,713,543 | -2.1% |
Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis · to April 2026 OGL v3.0
Biggest risers
Largest month-on-month rise
Biggest fallers
Largest month-on-month fall
Explore the data
Medicines A–Z
National volume, cost and trends for 55,469+ presentations.
Dispensing practices
970 GP practices that dispense their own medicines.
Hospital trusts
Hospital prescribing dispensed in the community, by trust.
Hospital medicines
What NHS hospitals use most, by indicative cost (SCMD).
Regions
The 42 ICBs of England, ranked by volume per 1,000.
Monthly data
Each month in numbers, with the biggest movers.
Pharmacy closures
England community-pharmacy numbers, openings and closures.
Downloads
Every figure as a clean CSV, under the Open Government Licence.
Data sources
Every NHS publication behind the figures, with coverage.