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Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Tapentadol vs Morphine sulfate

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

Morphine sulfate was dispensed 32.6× as often as Tapentadol in May 2026 — 404,508 items versus 12,425 in England.

12,425items

Tapentadol · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

404,508items

Morphine sulfate · May 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

Figure 1. Tapentadol versus Morphine sulfate: national items dispensed by month

▬ Tapentadol   ·   ╌ Morphine sulfate

0 227k 454k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 May 2026 Morphine sulfate 12,425 Jan 2021: 14k Feb 2021: 13k Mar 2021: 14k Apr 2021: 14k May 2021: 13k Jun 2021: 14k Jul 2021: 14k Aug 2021: 13k Sep 2021: 14k Oct 2021: 13k Nov 2021: 14k Dec 2021: 15k Jan 2022: 13k Feb 2022: 13k Mar 2022: 14k Apr 2022: 13k May 2022: 14k Jun 2022: 14k Jul 2022: 13k Aug 2022: 14k Sep 2022: 14k Oct 2022: 14k Nov 2022: 13k Dec 2022: 14k Jan 2023: 14k Feb 2023: 12k Mar 2023: 14k Apr 2023: 13k May 2023: 14k Jun 2023: 14k Jul 2023: 13k Aug 2023: 13k Sep 2023: 13k Oct 2023: 13k Nov 2023: 13k Dec 2023: 13k Jan 2024: 13k Feb 2024: 13k Mar 2024: 13k Apr 2024: 14k May 2024: 14k Jun 2024: 13k Jul 2024: 14k Aug 2024: 13k Sep 2024: 13k Oct 2024: 14k Nov 2024: 13k Dec 2024: 14k Jan 2025: 14k Feb 2025: 12k Mar 2025: 13k Apr 2025: 13k May 2025: 13k Jun 2025: 13k Jul 2025: 14k Aug 2025: 13k Sep 2025: 13k Oct 2025: 14k Nov 2025: 12k Dec 2025: 14k Jan 2026: 13k Feb 2026: 12k Mar 2026: 13k Apr 2026: 13k May 2026: 12k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to May 2026

Tapentadol versus Morphine sulfate, May 2026
Measure Tapentadol Morphine sulfate
Items, May 2026 12,425 404,508
Items, last 12 months 155,277 4,990,364
Net ingredient cost, May 2026 £372,828 £2,301,425

See the full profile for Tapentadol or Morphine sulfate.