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Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Urea vs Emollient bath and shower preparations

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

Urea was dispensed 1.3× as often as Emollient bath and shower preparations in April 2026 — 41,416 items versus 32,092 in England.

41,416items

Urea · April 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

32,092items

Emollient bath and shower preparations · April 2026

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

Figure 1. Urea versus Emollient bath and shower preparations: national items dispensed by month

▬ Urea   ·   ╌ Emollient bath and shower preparations

0 28k 55k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 Apr 2026 Emollient bath a… 41,416 Jan 2021: 35k Feb 2021: 33k Mar 2021: 37k Apr 2021: 37k May 2021: 34k Jun 2021: 35k Jul 2021: 34k Aug 2021: 32k Sep 2021: 33k Oct 2021: 31k Nov 2021: 32k Dec 2021: 32k Jan 2022: 32k Feb 2022: 31k Mar 2022: 36k Apr 2022: 32k May 2022: 34k Jun 2022: 34k Jul 2022: 34k Aug 2022: 35k Sep 2022: 33k Oct 2022: 32k Nov 2022: 32k Dec 2022: 30k Jan 2023: 33k Feb 2023: 32k Mar 2023: 38k Apr 2023: 33k May 2023: 36k Jun 2023: 38k Jul 2023: 36k Aug 2023: 36k Sep 2023: 35k Oct 2023: 35k Nov 2023: 36k Dec 2023: 35k Jan 2024: 36k Feb 2024: 34k Mar 2024: 35k Apr 2024: 38k May 2024: 38k Jun 2024: 36k Jul 2024: 39k Aug 2024: 37k Sep 2024: 36k Oct 2024: 38k Nov 2024: 36k Dec 2024: 35k Jan 2025: 39k Feb 2025: 36k Mar 2025: 38k Apr 2025: 38k May 2025: 40k Jun 2025: 39k Jul 2025: 41k Aug 2025: 37k Sep 2025: 38k Oct 2025: 40k Nov 2025: 36k Dec 2025: 40k Jan 2026: 40k Feb 2026: 37k Mar 2026: 41k Apr 2026: 41k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to April 2026

Urea versus Emollient bath and shower preparations, April 2026
Measure Urea Emollient bath and shower preparations
Items, April 2026 41,416 32,092
Items, last 12 months 471,483 393,107
Net ingredient cost, April 2026 £689,048 £220,666

See the full profile for Urea or Emollient bath and shower preparations.