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Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Buprenorphine hydrochloride vs Methadone hydrochloride

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

Methadone hydrochloride was dispensed 1.7× as often as Buprenorphine hydrochloride in May 2026 — 137,667 items versus 83,057 in England.

83,057items

Buprenorphine hydrochloride · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

137,667items

Methadone hydrochloride · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

Figure 1. Buprenorphine hydrochloride versus Methadone hydrochloride: national items dispensed by month

▬ Buprenorphine hydrochloride   ·   ╌ Methadone hydrochloride

0 101k 203k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 May 2026 Methadone hydroc… 83,057 Jan 2021: 75k Feb 2021: 72k Mar 2021: 82k Apr 2021: 78k May 2021: 74k Jun 2021: 78k Jul 2021: 77k Aug 2021: 76k Sep 2021: 75k Oct 2021: 74k Nov 2021: 76k Dec 2021: 83k Jan 2022: 74k Feb 2022: 70k Mar 2022: 79k Apr 2022: 75k May 2022: 79k Jun 2022: 75k Jul 2022: 74k Aug 2022: 78k Sep 2022: 75k Oct 2022: 74k Nov 2022: 75k Dec 2022: 79k Jan 2023: 75k Feb 2023: 70k Mar 2023: 79k Apr 2023: 73k May 2023: 79k Jun 2023: 77k Jul 2023: 75k Aug 2023: 80k Sep 2023: 74k Oct 2023: 79k Nov 2023: 77k Dec 2023: 79k Jan 2024: 78k Feb 2024: 75k Mar 2024: 77k Apr 2024: 79k May 2024: 83k Jun 2024: 75k Jul 2024: 83k Aug 2024: 81k Sep 2024: 78k Oct 2024: 84k Nov 2024: 79k Dec 2024: 86k Jan 2025: 83k Feb 2025: 75k Mar 2025: 77k Apr 2025: 85k May 2025: 83k Jun 2025: 80k Jul 2025: 85k Aug 2025: 81k Sep 2025: 81k Oct 2025: 85k Nov 2025: 78k Dec 2025: 90k Jan 2026: 84k Feb 2026: 78k Mar 2026: 86k Apr 2026: 83k May 2026: 83k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to May 2026

Buprenorphine hydrochloride versus Methadone hydrochloride, May 2026
Measure Buprenorphine hydrochloride Methadone hydrochloride
Items, May 2026 83,057 137,667
Items, last 12 months 993,005 1,757,297
Net ingredient cost, May 2026 £1,613,469 £914,147

See the full profile for Buprenorphine hydrochloride or Methadone hydrochloride.