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Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Lactulose

Gastro-Intestinal System Laxatives BNF 0106040G0
Data updated May 2026 Download CSV

Lactulose was ranked 117th of 1,796 medicines by items in May 2026, with 201,445 items, down 3.1% on a year earlier.

201,445items -3.1%

Dispensed in May 2026

2,085,020items

Rolling 12 months

£1,667,135

Net ingredient cost · May 2026

Figure 1. Lactulose: national items dispensed by month

0 117k 235k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 Jul 2026 221,637 Jan 2021: 227k Feb 2021: 213k Mar 2021: 235k Apr 2021: 223k May 2021: 211k Jun 2021: 221k Jul 2021: 218k Aug 2021: 207k Sep 2021: 218k Oct 2021: 207k Nov 2021: 214k Dec 2021: 220k Jan 2022: 213k Feb 2022: 200k Mar 2022: 224k Apr 2022: 207k May 2022: 214k Jun 2022: 207k Jul 2022: 205k Aug 2022: 210k Sep 2022: 210k Oct 2022: 205k Nov 2022: 211k Dec 2022: 205k Jan 2023: 212k Feb 2023: 193k Mar 2023: 218k Apr 2023: 192k May 2023: 206k Jun 2023: 209k Jul 2023: 203k Aug 2023: 208k Sep 2023: 204k Oct 2023: 208k Nov 2023: 211k Dec 2023: 205k Jan 2024: 218k Feb 2024: 203k Mar 2024: 203k Apr 2024: 211k May 2024: 211k Jun 2024: 199k Jul 2024: 217k Aug 2024: 207k Sep 2024: 204k Oct 2024: 217k Nov 2024: 206k Dec 2024: 209k Jan 2025: 217k Feb 2025: 192k Mar 2025: 204k Apr 2025: 201k May 2025: 208k Jun 2025: 202k Jul 2025: 217k Aug 2025: 198k Sep 2025: 212k Oct 2025: 217k Nov 2025: 200k Dec 2025: 219k Jan 2026: 217k Feb 2026: 197k Mar 2026: 214k Apr 2026: 211k May 2026: 201k Jun 2026: 213k Jul 2026: 222k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to May 2026

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At a glance

  • Therapeutic class Laxatives
  • Presentations 3 shown
  • Average cost / item £8.28
  • Year on year Down 3.1% 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, May 2026

The individual products dispensed under Lactulose this month.

Presentations of Lactulose, May 2026
Presentation BNF code Items Net ingredient cost
Lactulose 3.1-3.7g/5ml oral solution 0106040G0AAAAAA 198,947 £1,633,744
Lactulose 10g/15ml oral solution 15ml sachets sugar free 0106040G0AAAGAG 2,497 £33,383
Lactugal 3.1-3.7g/5ml oral solution 0106040G0BEAAAA 1 £8

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

Where Lactulose is dispensed

The regions and dispensing practices with the highest Lactulose volumes.

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

Compare Lactulose with

Other medicines in the same BNF section, by prescribing volume.

Download this data

The monthly series for Lactulose is in this page's CSV. For the ranked national series across every medicine, with the method and caveats documented, see the most-prescribed medicines dataset in our open data catalogue.