Skip to content
Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Norethisterone vs Desogestrel

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

Desogestrel was dispensed 38.7× as often as Norethisterone in April 2026 — 239,187 items versus 6,183 in England.

6,183items

Norethisterone · April 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

239,187items

Desogestrel · April 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

Figure 1. Norethisterone versus Desogestrel: national items dispensed by month

▬ Norethisterone   ·   ╌ Desogestrel

0 138k 276k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 Apr 2026 Desogestrel 6,183 Jan 2021: 14k Feb 2021: 12k Mar 2021: 13k Apr 2021: 12k May 2021: 8k Jun 2021: 16k Jul 2021: 14k Aug 2021: 9k Sep 2021: 14k Oct 2021: 13k Nov 2021: 12k Dec 2021: 13k Jan 2022: 12k Feb 2022: 11k Mar 2022: 13k Apr 2022: 11k May 2022: 12k Jun 2022: 12k Jul 2022: 11k Aug 2022: 12k Sep 2022: 12k Oct 2022: 11k Nov 2022: 12k Dec 2022: 10k Jan 2023: 11k Feb 2023: 11k Mar 2023: 12k Apr 2023: 10k May 2023: 11k Jun 2023: 11k Jul 2023: 9k Aug 2023: 12k Sep 2023: 10k Oct 2023: 9k Nov 2023: 11k Dec 2023: 7k Jan 2024: 6k Feb 2024: 8k Mar 2024: 10k Apr 2024: 9k May 2024: 9k Jun 2024: 8k Jul 2024: 8k Aug 2024: 8k Sep 2024: 7k Oct 2024: 5k Nov 2024: 4k Dec 2024: 4k Jan 2025: 10k Feb 2025: 7k Mar 2025: 6k Apr 2025: 5k May 2025: 6k Jun 2025: 7k Jul 2025: 8k Aug 2025: 6k Sep 2025: 7k Oct 2025: 7k Nov 2025: 6k Dec 2025: 7k Jan 2026: 7k Feb 2026: 6k Mar 2026: 6k Apr 2026: 6k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to April 2026

Norethisterone versus Desogestrel, April 2026
Measure Norethisterone Desogestrel
Items, April 2026 6,183 239,187
Items, last 12 months 79,321 2,999,831
Net ingredient cost, April 2026 £17,396 £1,079,724

See the full profile for Norethisterone or Desogestrel.