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Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Clarithromycin vs Nitrofurantoin

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

Nitrofurantoin was dispensed 2.4× as often as Clarithromycin in May 2026 — 333,741 items versus 140,837 in England.

140,837items

Clarithromycin · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

333,741items

Nitrofurantoin · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

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

▬ Clarithromycin   ·   ╌ Nitrofurantoin

0 204k 408k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 May 2026 Nitrofurantoin 140,837 Jan 2021: 121k Feb 2021: 105k Mar 2021: 120k Apr 2021: 113k May 2021: 117k Jun 2021: 132k Jul 2021: 139k Aug 2021: 128k Sep 2021: 151k Oct 2021: 172k Nov 2021: 181k Dec 2021: 184k Jan 2022: 153k Feb 2022: 139k Mar 2022: 168k Apr 2022: 154k May 2022: 154k Jun 2022: 154k Jul 2022: 159k Aug 2022: 143k Sep 2022: 143k Oct 2022: 175k Nov 2022: 196k Dec 2022: 303k Jan 2023: 225k Feb 2023: 189k Mar 2023: 201k Apr 2023: 151k May 2023: 156k Jun 2023: 148k Jul 2023: 141k Aug 2023: 141k Sep 2023: 137k Oct 2023: 159k Nov 2023: 176k Dec 2023: 192k Jan 2024: 204k Feb 2024: 190k Mar 2024: 198k Apr 2024: 194k May 2024: 187k Jun 2024: 167k Jul 2024: 172k Aug 2024: 143k Sep 2024: 144k Oct 2024: 174k Nov 2024: 177k Dec 2024: 209k Jan 2025: 201k Feb 2025: 171k Mar 2025: 176k Apr 2025: 156k May 2025: 146k Jun 2025: 141k Jul 2025: 146k Aug 2025: 126k Sep 2025: 138k Oct 2025: 163k Nov 2025: 156k Dec 2025: 190k Jan 2026: 178k Feb 2026: 160k Mar 2026: 171k Apr 2026: 148k May 2026: 141k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to May 2026

Clarithromycin versus Nitrofurantoin, May 2026
Measure Clarithromycin Nitrofurantoin
Items, May 2026 140,837 333,741
Items, last 12 months 1,857,733 4,416,505
Net ingredient cost, May 2026 £676,714 £2,268,636

See the full profile for Clarithromycin or Nitrofurantoin.