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Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Ibuprofen vs Methotrexate

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

Methotrexate was dispensed 3.0× as often as Ibuprofen in May 2026 — 182,888 items versus 60,955 in England.

60,955items

Ibuprofen · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

182,888items

Methotrexate · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

Figure 1. Ibuprofen versus Methotrexate: national items dispensed by month

▬ Ibuprofen   ·   ╌ Methotrexate

0 99k 198k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 May 2026 Methotrexate 60,955 Jan 2021: 97k Feb 2021: 91k Mar 2021: 103k Apr 2021: 99k May 2021: 97k Jun 2021: 103k Jul 2021: 102k Aug 2021: 93k Sep 2021: 100k Oct 2021: 97k Nov 2021: 99k Dec 2021: 100k Jan 2022: 94k Feb 2022: 88k Mar 2022: 101k Apr 2022: 91k May 2022: 95k Jun 2022: 92k Jul 2022: 90k Aug 2022: 89k Sep 2022: 89k Oct 2022: 91k Nov 2022: 94k Dec 2022: 95k Jan 2023: 90k Feb 2023: 83k Mar 2023: 93k Apr 2023: 80k May 2023: 86k Jun 2023: 86k Jul 2023: 82k Aug 2023: 81k Sep 2023: 82k Oct 2023: 83k Nov 2023: 84k Dec 2023: 82k Jan 2024: 84k Feb 2024: 78k Mar 2024: 78k Apr 2024: 78k May 2024: 80k Jun 2024: 73k Jul 2024: 79k Aug 2024: 73k Sep 2024: 74k Oct 2024: 78k Nov 2024: 74k Dec 2024: 75k Jan 2025: 76k Feb 2025: 67k Mar 2025: 71k Apr 2025: 69k May 2025: 71k Jun 2025: 69k Jul 2025: 71k Aug 2025: 64k Sep 2025: 69k Oct 2025: 71k Nov 2025: 65k Dec 2025: 70k Jan 2026: 66k Feb 2026: 60k Mar 2026: 66k Apr 2026: 63k May 2026: 61k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to May 2026

Ibuprofen versus Methotrexate, May 2026
Measure Ibuprofen Methotrexate
Items, May 2026 60,955 182,888
Items, last 12 months 793,836 2,236,227
Net ingredient cost, May 2026 £198,279 £2,247,752

See the full profile for Ibuprofen or Methotrexate.