Skip to content
Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Ampicillin vs Nitrofurantoin

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

Nitrofurantoin was dispensed 41,717.6× as often as Ampicillin in May 2026 — 333,741 items versus 8 in England.

8items

Ampicillin · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

333,741items

Nitrofurantoin · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

Figure 1. Ampicillin versus Nitrofurantoin: national items dispensed by month

▬ Ampicillin   ·   ╌ Nitrofurantoin

0 204k 408k Jan 2021 Dec 2021 Oct 2022 Aug 2023 Jun 2024 Apr 2025 May 2026 Nitrofurantoin 8 Jan 2021: 50 Feb 2021: 43 Mar 2021: 78 Apr 2021: 54 May 2021: 56 Jul 2021: 64 Aug 2021: 53 Sep 2021: 60 Oct 2021: 53 Nov 2021: 47 Dec 2021: 47 Jan 2022: 41 Feb 2022: 49 Mar 2022: 51 Apr 2022: 37 May 2022: 39 Jun 2022: 35 Jul 2022: 41 Aug 2022: 44 Sep 2022: 34 Oct 2022: 49 Nov 2022: 64 Dec 2022: 64 Jan 2023: 51 Feb 2023: 29 Mar 2023: 37 Apr 2023: 28 May 2023: 10 Jun 2023: 12 Jul 2023: 13 Aug 2023: 7 Sep 2023: 5 Oct 2023: 5 Nov 2023: 11 Dec 2023: 16 Jan 2024: 17 Feb 2024: 6 Mar 2024: 15 Apr 2024: 8 May 2024: 7 Jun 2024: 11 Jul 2024: 10 Aug 2024: 7 Sep 2024: 9 Oct 2024: 6 Nov 2024: 3 Dec 2024: 8 Jan 2025: 3 Feb 2025: 7 Mar 2025: 6 Apr 2025: 4 May 2025: 7 Jun 2025: 7 Jul 2025: 8 Aug 2025: 4 Sep 2025: 21 Oct 2025: 6 Nov 2025: 9 Dec 2025: 12 Jan 2026: 9 Feb 2026: 4 Mar 2026: 8 Apr 2026: 7 May 2026: 8

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to May 2026

Ampicillin versus Nitrofurantoin, May 2026
Measure Ampicillin Nitrofurantoin
Items, May 2026 8 333,741
Items, last 12 months 103 4,416,505
Net ingredient cost, May 2026 £324 £2,268,636

See the full profile for Ampicillin or Nitrofurantoin.