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Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Acetylcysteine vs Carbocisteine

National NHS prescribing compared (Prescription Cost Analysis)
Data updated April 2026

Carbocisteine was dispensed 7.1× as often as Acetylcysteine in April 2026 — 345,202 items versus 48,302 in England.

48,302items

Acetylcysteine · April 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

345,202items

Carbocisteine · April 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

Figure 1. Acetylcysteine versus Carbocisteine: national items dispensed by month

▬ Acetylcysteine   ·   ╌ Carbocisteine

0 182k 363k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 Apr 2026 Carbocisteine 48,302 Jan 2021: 6k Feb 2021: 6k Mar 2021: 7k Apr 2021: 6k May 2021: 6k Jun 2021: 7k Jul 2021: 7k Aug 2021: 7k Sep 2021: 8k Oct 2021: 8k Nov 2021: 8k Dec 2021: 9k Jan 2022: 8k Feb 2022: 8k Mar 2022: 9k Apr 2022: 9k May 2022: 9k Jun 2022: 10k Jul 2022: 10k Aug 2022: 10k Sep 2022: 11k Oct 2022: 11k Nov 2022: 12k Dec 2022: 12k Jan 2023: 12k Feb 2023: 11k Mar 2023: 13k Apr 2023: 10k May 2023: 13k Jun 2023: 14k Jul 2023: 14k Aug 2023: 15k Sep 2023: 13k Oct 2023: 17k Nov 2023: 18k Dec 2023: 18k Jan 2024: 19k Feb 2024: 19k Mar 2024: 18k Apr 2024: 22k May 2024: 23k Jun 2024: 20k Jul 2024: 25k Aug 2024: 25k Sep 2024: 24k Oct 2024: 28k Nov 2024: 27k Dec 2024: 30k Jan 2025: 31k Feb 2025: 29k Mar 2025: 31k Apr 2025: 33k May 2025: 34k Jun 2025: 35k Jul 2025: 39k Aug 2025: 36k Sep 2025: 39k Oct 2025: 42k Nov 2025: 40k Dec 2025: 45k Jan 2026: 45k Feb 2026: 43k Mar 2026: 48k Apr 2026: 48k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to April 2026

Acetylcysteine versus Carbocisteine, April 2026
Measure Acetylcysteine Carbocisteine
Items, April 2026 48,302 345,202
Items, last 12 months 495,103 4,086,396
Net ingredient cost, April 2026 £442,131 £1,683,766

See the full profile for Acetylcysteine or Carbocisteine.