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PharmaInsight

Tapentadol vs Codeine phosphate

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

Codeine phosphate was dispensed 38.5× as often as Tapentadol in March 2026 — 499,752 items versus 12,982 in England.

12,982items

Tapentadol · March 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

499,752items

Codeine phosphate · March 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

Figure 1. Tapentadol versus Codeine phosphate: national items dispensed by month

▬ Tapentadol   ·   ╌ Codeine phosphate

Codeine phosphat… 12,982

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to March 2026

Tapentadol versus Codeine phosphate, March 2026
Measure Tapentadol Codeine phosphate
Items, March 2026 12,982 499,752
Items, last 12 months 156,224 5,659,640
Net ingredient cost, March 2026 £523,865 £1,194,026

See the full profile for Tapentadol or Codeine phosphate.