Skip to content
Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Nicotine vs Buprenorph hydrochloride/naloxone hydrochloride

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

Nicotine was dispensed 3,892.0× as often as Buprenorph hydrochloride/naloxone hydrochloride in May 2026 — 19,460 items versus 5 in England.

19,460items

Nicotine · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

5items

Buprenorph hydrochloride/naloxone hydrochloride · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

Figure 1. Nicotine versus Buprenorph hydrochloride/naloxone hydrochloride: national items dispensed by month

▬ Nicotine   ·   ╌ Buprenorph hydrochloride/naloxone hydrochloride

0 18k 36k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 May 2026 Buprenorph hydro… 19,460 Jan 2021: 28k Feb 2021: 28k Mar 2021: 31k Apr 2021: 29k May 2021: 28k Jun 2021: 30k Jul 2021: 32k Aug 2021: 30k Sep 2021: 31k Oct 2021: 31k Nov 2021: 33k Dec 2021: 31k Jan 2022: 31k Feb 2022: 31k Mar 2022: 34k Apr 2022: 30k May 2022: 31k Jun 2022: 30k Jul 2022: 29k Aug 2022: 29k Sep 2022: 27k Oct 2022: 27k Nov 2022: 29k Dec 2022: 26k Jan 2023: 31k Feb 2023: 31k Mar 2023: 36k Apr 2023: 30k May 2023: 32k Jun 2023: 33k Jul 2023: 32k Aug 2023: 31k Sep 2023: 29k Oct 2023: 30k Nov 2023: 31k Dec 2023: 28k Jan 2024: 31k Feb 2024: 31k Mar 2024: 31k Apr 2024: 31k May 2024: 31k Jun 2024: 28k Jul 2024: 29k Aug 2024: 27k Sep 2024: 26k Oct 2024: 27k Nov 2024: 26k Dec 2024: 25k Jan 2025: 28k Feb 2025: 26k Mar 2025: 27k Apr 2025: 26k May 2025: 25k Jun 2025: 23k Jul 2025: 24k Aug 2025: 21k Sep 2025: 22k Oct 2025: 22k Nov 2025: 20k Dec 2025: 21k Jan 2026: 21k Feb 2026: 20k Mar 2026: 22k Apr 2026: 21k May 2026: 19k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to May 2026

Nicotine versus Buprenorph hydrochloride/naloxone hydrochloride, May 2026
Measure Nicotine Buprenorph hydrochloride/naloxone hydrochloride
Items, May 2026 19,460 5
Items, last 12 months 256,748 2,126
Net ingredient cost, May 2026 £698,525 £349

See the full profile for Nicotine or Buprenorph hydrochloride/naloxone hydrochloride.