Skip to content
Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Capsaicin vs Ibuprofen

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

Ibuprofen was dispensed 47.5× as often as Capsaicin in May 2026 — 319,724 items versus 6,728 in England.

6,728items

Capsaicin · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

319,724items

Ibuprofen · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

Figure 1. Capsaicin versus Ibuprofen: national items dispensed by month

▬ Capsaicin   ·   ╌ Ibuprofen

0 171k 342k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 May 2026 Ibuprofen 6,728 Jan 2021: 21k Feb 2021: 20k Mar 2021: 24k Apr 2021: 23k May 2021: 23k Jun 2021: 25k Jul 2021: 25k Aug 2021: 24k Sep 2021: 26k Oct 2021: 25k Nov 2021: 26k Dec 2021: 26k Jan 2022: 23k Feb 2022: 20k Mar 2022: 19k Apr 2022: 26k May 2022: 29k Jun 2022: 24k Jul 2022: 19k Aug 2022: 15k Sep 2022: 15k Oct 2022: 19k Nov 2022: 20k Dec 2022: 18k Jan 2023: 16k Feb 2023: 12k Mar 2023: 10k Apr 2023: 7k May 2023: 7k Jun 2023: 7k Jul 2023: 6k Aug 2023: 5k Sep 2023: 5k Oct 2023: 5k Nov 2023: 5k Dec 2023: 5k Jan 2024: 5k Feb 2024: 4k Mar 2024: 4k Apr 2024: 4k May 2024: 4k Jun 2024: 3k Jul 2024: 3k Aug 2024: 3k Sep 2024: 3k Oct 2024: 3k Nov 2024: 3k Dec 2024: 3k Jan 2025: 3k Feb 2025: 3k Mar 2025: 3k Apr 2025: 3k May 2025: 3k Jun 2025: 3k Jul 2025: 3k Aug 2025: 3k Sep 2025: 2k Oct 2025: 2k Nov 2025: 2k Dec 2025: 2k Jan 2026: 3k Feb 2026: 3k Mar 2026: 5k Apr 2026: 6k May 2026: 7k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to May 2026

Capsaicin versus Ibuprofen, May 2026
Measure Capsaicin Ibuprofen
Items, May 2026 6,728 319,724
Items, last 12 months 40,703 3,894,488
Net ingredient cost, May 2026 £204,364 £1,385,245

See the full profile for Capsaicin or Ibuprofen.