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Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Dabigatran etexilate vs Apixaban

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

Apixaban was dispensed 51.8× as often as Dabigatran etexilate in May 2026 — 969,676 items versus 18,716 in England.

18,716items

Dabigatran etexilate · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

969,676items

Apixaban · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

Figure 1. Dabigatran etexilate versus Apixaban: national items dispensed by month

▬ Dabigatran etexilate   ·   ╌ Apixaban

0 501k 1m Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 May 2026 Apixaban 18,716 Jan 2021: 33k Feb 2021: 31k Mar 2021: 34k Apr 2021: 33k May 2021: 31k Jun 2021: 33k Jul 2021: 33k Aug 2021: 31k Sep 2021: 33k Oct 2021: 31k Nov 2021: 32k Dec 2021: 33k Jan 2022: 31k Feb 2022: 29k Mar 2022: 32k Apr 2022: 30k May 2022: 31k Jun 2022: 30k Jul 2022: 29k Aug 2022: 30k Sep 2022: 29k Oct 2022: 28k Nov 2022: 28k Dec 2022: 28k Jan 2023: 27k Feb 2023: 25k Mar 2023: 27k Apr 2023: 24k May 2023: 25k Jun 2023: 26k Jul 2023: 25k Aug 2023: 25k Sep 2023: 24k Oct 2023: 24k Nov 2023: 24k Dec 2023: 24k Jan 2024: 24k Feb 2024: 22k Mar 2024: 23k Apr 2024: 24k May 2024: 24k Jun 2024: 22k Jul 2024: 24k Aug 2024: 23k Sep 2024: 22k Oct 2024: 23k Nov 2024: 22k Dec 2024: 22k Jan 2025: 22k Feb 2025: 20k Mar 2025: 21k Apr 2025: 21k May 2025: 21k Jun 2025: 20k Jul 2025: 22k Aug 2025: 20k Sep 2025: 21k Oct 2025: 21k Nov 2025: 19k Dec 2025: 21k Jan 2026: 20k Feb 2026: 18k Mar 2026: 20k Apr 2026: 19k May 2026: 19k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to May 2026

Dabigatran etexilate versus Apixaban, May 2026
Measure Dabigatran etexilate Apixaban
Items, May 2026 18,716 969,676
Items, last 12 months 239,260 11,229,504
Net ingredient cost, May 2026 £131,307 £4,331,190

See the full profile for Dabigatran etexilate or Apixaban.