Skip to content
Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Combined ethinylestradiol 20mcg vs Medroxyprogesterone acetate

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

Medroxyprogesterone acetate was dispensed 2.0× as often as Combined ethinylestradiol 20mcg in May 2026 — 55,709 items versus 28,169 in England.

28,169items

Combined ethinylestradiol 20mcg · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

55,709items

Medroxyprogesterone acetate · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

Figure 1. Combined ethinylestradiol 20mcg versus Medroxyprogesterone acetate: national items dispensed by month

▬ Combined ethinylestradiol 20mcg   ·   ╌ Medroxyprogesterone acetate

0 36k 73k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 May 2026 Medroxyprogester… 28,169 Jan 2021: 35k Feb 2021: 32k Mar 2021: 34k Apr 2021: 34k May 2021: 33k Jun 2021: 34k Jul 2021: 35k Aug 2021: 32k Sep 2021: 35k Oct 2021: 32k Nov 2021: 33k Dec 2021: 33k Jan 2022: 34k Feb 2022: 31k Mar 2022: 35k Apr 2022: 32k May 2022: 35k Jun 2022: 33k Jul 2022: 33k Aug 2022: 34k Sep 2022: 33k Oct 2022: 32k Nov 2022: 33k Dec 2022: 30k Jan 2023: 34k Feb 2023: 30k Mar 2023: 34k Apr 2023: 30k May 2023: 33k Jun 2023: 34k Jul 2023: 32k Aug 2023: 32k Sep 2023: 32k Oct 2023: 31k Nov 2023: 31k Dec 2023: 30k Jan 2024: 32k Feb 2024: 30k Mar 2024: 30k Apr 2024: 31k May 2024: 31k Jun 2024: 30k Jul 2024: 32k Aug 2024: 29k Sep 2024: 29k Oct 2024: 29k Nov 2024: 28k Dec 2024: 28k Jan 2025: 30k Feb 2025: 26k Mar 2025: 28k Apr 2025: 29k May 2025: 31k Jun 2025: 31k Jul 2025: 32k Aug 2025: 29k Sep 2025: 31k Oct 2025: 30k Nov 2025: 28k Dec 2025: 29k Jan 2026: 31k Feb 2026: 27k Mar 2026: 29k Apr 2026: 29k May 2026: 28k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to May 2026

Combined ethinylestradiol 20mcg versus Medroxyprogesterone acetate, May 2026
Measure Combined ethinylestradiol 20mcg Medroxyprogesterone acetate
Items, May 2026 28,169 55,709
Items, last 12 months 353,675 719,261
Net ingredient cost, May 2026 £496,373 £361,619

See the full profile for Combined ethinylestradiol 20mcg or Medroxyprogesterone acetate.