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Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Emollients

Appliances Emollients BNF 2122
Data updated April 2026 Download CSV

Emollients was ranked 22nd of 1,792 medicines by items in April 2026, with 971,329 items, up 6.4% on a year earlier.

971,329items +6.4%

Dispensed in April 2026

9,982,668items

Rolling 12 months

£5,854,926

Net ingredient cost · April 2026

Figure 1. Emollients: national items dispensed by month

0 486k 971k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 Apr 2026 971,329 Jan 2021: 745k Feb 2021: 718k Mar 2021: 817k Apr 2021: 824k May 2021: 752k Jun 2021: 791k Jul 2021: 746k Aug 2021: 688k Sep 2021: 734k Oct 2021: 690k Nov 2021: 741k Dec 2021: 755k Jan 2022: 769k Feb 2022: 730k Mar 2022: 846k Apr 2022: 772k May 2022: 797k Jun 2022: 778k Jul 2022: 755k Aug 2022: 752k Sep 2022: 731k Oct 2022: 719k Nov 2022: 752k Dec 2022: 749k Jan 2023: 796k Feb 2023: 742k Mar 2023: 853k Apr 2023: 758k May 2023: 827k Jun 2023: 860k Jul 2023: 788k Aug 2023: 778k Sep 2023: 780k Oct 2023: 783k Nov 2023: 816k Dec 2023: 786k Jan 2024: 897k Feb 2024: 820k Mar 2024: 837k Apr 2024: 893k May 2024: 902k Jun 2024: 853k Jul 2024: 897k Aug 2024: 835k Sep 2024: 818k Oct 2024: 865k Nov 2024: 849k Dec 2024: 842k Jan 2025: 943k Feb 2025: 845k Mar 2025: 919k Apr 2025: 913k May 2025: 950k Jun 2025: 908k Jul 2025: 933k Aug 2025: 827k Sep 2025: 878k Oct 2025: 903k Nov 2025: 854k Dec 2025: 911k Jan 2026: 959k Feb 2026: 873k Mar 2026: 965k Apr 2026: 971k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to April 2026

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At a glance

  • Therapeutic class Emollients
  • Presentations 15 shown
  • Average cost / item £6.03
  • Year on year Up 6.4% on a year earlier
What this is
Net ingredient cost is the list price before discounts and dispensing fees, not what the NHS finally pays.

Top presentations, April 2026

The individual products dispensed under Emollients this month.

Presentations of Emollients, April 2026
Presentation BNF code Items Net ingredient cost
Epimax original cream 21220000241 149,814 £442,576
Cetraben cream 21220000233 119,698 £942,288
Zerobase 11% cream 21220000214 75,278 £479,425
Hydromol ointment 21220000205 68,775 £478,618
Epimax excetra cream 21220000284 44,533 £168,791
Zeroderm ointment 21220000204 34,634 £176,019
Epaderm cream 21220000101 34,178 £306,796
AproDerm emollient cream 21220000126 29,985 £181,286
Epaderm ointment 21220000100 26,831 £237,853
AproDerm Colloidal Oat cream 21220000124 26,679 £188,739
Epimax isomol gel 21220000251 26,105 £100,905
Epimax oatmeal cream 21220000300 25,283 £98,795
Epimax moisturising cream 21220000321 24,670 £87,368
Epimax ointment 21220000293 24,057 £87,741
Zerocream 21220000215 23,351 £115,845

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis · to April 2026 OGL v3.0

Where Emollients is dispensed

The regions and dispensing practices with the highest Emollients volumes.

Regional volumes from NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis; practice volumes from NHS dispensing data.