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Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

January 2025 in numbers

NHS community prescribing in England (Prescription Cost Analysis).
Data updated January 2025
109,700,318items

Dispensed in January 2025

NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis

£952,227,701

Net ingredient cost, January 2025

NHSBSA PCA

Figure 1. The most-dispensed medicines in England, January 2025

The most-dispensed medicines in England, January 202502.5m5m7.5m10mAtorvastatinLansoprazoleRamiprilBisoprolol fumara…Sertraline hydroc…

Source: NHSBSA English Prescribing Dataset

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Most-dispensed medicines

Download full month (CSV)
Top medicines by items, January 2025
MedicineItemsNet ingredient cost
Atorvastatin 6,411,073 £6,998,306
Amlodipine 3,473,083 £3,021,099
Lansoprazole 3,193,754 £4,071,652
Omeprazole 3,108,922 £8,613,015
Ramipril 3,050,696 £3,462,145
Levothyroxine sodium 2,980,844 £4,109,963
Bisoprolol fumarate 2,616,709 £2,069,408
Colecalciferol 2,466,183 £9,408,087
Metformin hydrochloride 2,310,319 £7,629,729
Sertraline hydrochloride 2,166,267 £4,741,543
Aspirin 1,740,191 £1,375,563
Salbutamol 1,711,192 £5,508,909

Biggest risers

Largest month-on-month rise in items (medicines above 10,000 items).

Biggest risers month on month
MedicineItemsChange
Oseltamivir phosphate 15,441 +54.3%
Neomycin sulfate 44,323 +26.3%
Diphtheria 32,102 +25.5%
Hepatitis A 45,732 +24.6%
Hydrocortisone 52,561 +23.9%
Typhoid 55,938 +23.4%
Levonorgestrel 12,813 +21.1%
Powder thickener - gum based (0913161) 46,234 +19.4%

Biggest fallers

Largest month-on-month fall in items.

Biggest fallers month on month
MedicineItemsChange
Influenza 553,351 −45.2%
Other individually formulated bought in preparations 19,002 −44.0%
Phenazone/lidocaine 11,963 −27.8%
Erythromycin ethylsuccinate 13,089 −25.0%
Hypromellose 31,489 −13.7%
Amoxicillin 979,969 −12.9%
Prednisolone 37,279 −11.6%
Timolol and travoprost 10,713 −7.5%

Download this data

Every medicine dispensed in January 2025 is in this month's CSV. For the full monthly history — the national headline series, and the top 500 medicines ranked in every month — see the headline series and most-prescribed medicines datasets in our open data catalogue.