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Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Colestyramine vs Simvastatin

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

Simvastatin was dispensed 50.0× as often as Colestyramine in May 2026 — 760,287 items versus 15,204 in England.

15,204items

Colestyramine · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

760,287items

Simvastatin · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

Figure 1. Colestyramine versus Simvastatin: national items dispensed by month

▬ Colestyramine   ·   ╌ Simvastatin

0 795k 1.6m Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 May 2026 Simvastatin 15,204 Jan 2021: 10k Feb 2021: 10k Mar 2021: 11k Apr 2021: 11k May 2021: 10k Jun 2021: 11k Jul 2021: 11k Aug 2021: 11k Sep 2021: 12k Oct 2021: 11k Nov 2021: 11k Dec 2021: 12k Jan 2022: 11k Feb 2022: 10k Mar 2022: 12k Apr 2022: 11k May 2022: 12k Jun 2022: 11k Jul 2022: 12k Aug 2022: 13k Sep 2022: 13k Oct 2022: 13k Nov 2022: 13k Dec 2022: 13k Jan 2023: 13k Feb 2023: 12k Mar 2023: 14k Apr 2023: 12k May 2023: 13k Jun 2023: 13k Jul 2023: 13k Aug 2023: 14k Sep 2023: 13k Oct 2023: 14k Nov 2023: 14k Dec 2023: 14k Jan 2024: 14k Feb 2024: 13k Mar 2024: 14k Apr 2024: 14k May 2024: 15k Jun 2024: 14k Jul 2024: 15k Aug 2024: 14k Sep 2024: 14k Oct 2024: 15k Nov 2024: 15k Dec 2024: 15k Jan 2025: 15k Feb 2025: 13k Mar 2025: 15k Apr 2025: 14k May 2025: 15k Jun 2025: 15k Jul 2025: 16k Aug 2025: 14k Sep 2025: 15k Oct 2025: 16k Nov 2025: 15k Dec 2025: 16k Jan 2026: 16k Feb 2026: 14k Mar 2026: 16k Apr 2026: 15k May 2026: 15k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to May 2026

Colestyramine versus Simvastatin, May 2026
Measure Colestyramine Simvastatin
Items, May 2026 15,204 760,287
Items, last 12 months 183,952 10,001,384
Net ingredient cost, May 2026 £392,953 £742,412

See the full profile for Colestyramine or Simvastatin.