Skip to content
Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Hydrocortisone vs Prednisolone

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

Prednisolone was dispensed 1.1× as often as Hydrocortisone in May 2026 — 45,475 items versus 39,779 in England.

39,779items

Hydrocortisone · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

45,475items

Prednisolone · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

Figure 1. Hydrocortisone versus Prednisolone: national items dispensed by month

▬ Hydrocortisone   ·   ╌ Prednisolone

0 27k 54k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 May 2026 Prednisolone 39,779 Jan 2021: 51k Feb 2021: 49k Mar 2021: 54k Apr 2021: 51k May 2021: 47k Jun 2021: 47k Jul 2021: 46k Aug 2021: 45k Sep 2021: 46k Oct 2021: 44k Nov 2021: 45k Dec 2021: 43k Jan 2022: 43k Feb 2022: 45k Mar 2022: 48k Apr 2022: 43k May 2022: 47k Jun 2022: 43k Jul 2022: 42k Aug 2022: 42k Sep 2022: 41k Oct 2022: 44k Nov 2022: 47k Dec 2022: 41k Jan 2023: 47k Feb 2023: 43k Mar 2023: 48k Apr 2023: 41k May 2023: 44k Jun 2023: 43k Jul 2023: 42k Aug 2023: 41k Sep 2023: 42k Oct 2023: 45k Nov 2023: 47k Dec 2023: 46k Jan 2024: 49k Feb 2024: 45k Mar 2024: 44k Apr 2024: 45k May 2024: 44k Jun 2024: 42k Jul 2024: 45k Aug 2024: 42k Sep 2024: 42k Oct 2024: 46k Nov 2024: 47k Dec 2024: 42k Jan 2025: 53k Feb 2025: 49k Mar 2025: 48k Apr 2025: 45k May 2025: 45k Jun 2025: 44k Jul 2025: 46k Aug 2025: 41k Sep 2025: 45k Oct 2025: 46k Nov 2025: 42k Dec 2025: 43k Jan 2026: 44k Feb 2026: 40k Mar 2026: 42k Apr 2026: 42k May 2026: 40k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to May 2026

Hydrocortisone versus Prednisolone, May 2026
Measure Hydrocortisone Prednisolone
Items, May 2026 39,779 45,475
Items, last 12 months 514,496 564,483
Net ingredient cost, May 2026 £274,470 £127,554

See the full profile for Hydrocortisone or Prednisolone.