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Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Phenobarbital

Central Nervous System Antiepileptic drugs BNF 0408010N0
Data updated May 2026 Download CSV

Phenobarbital was ranked 490th of 1,796 medicines by items in May 2026, with 10,607 items, down 9.5% on a year earlier.

10,607items -9.5%

Dispensed in May 2026

110,612items

Rolling 12 months

£119,724

Net ingredient cost · May 2026

Figure 1. Phenobarbital: national items dispensed by month

0 7k 15k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 Jul 2026 12,068 Jan 2021: 14k Feb 2021: 13k Mar 2021: 15k Apr 2021: 14k May 2021: 14k Jun 2021: 14k Jul 2021: 15k Aug 2021: 14k Sep 2021: 14k Oct 2021: 14k Nov 2021: 14k Dec 2021: 15k Jan 2022: 14k Feb 2022: 13k Mar 2022: 14k Apr 2022: 13k May 2022: 14k Jun 2022: 13k Jul 2022: 13k Aug 2022: 14k Sep 2022: 13k Oct 2022: 13k Nov 2022: 13k Dec 2022: 13k Jan 2023: 13k Feb 2023: 12k Mar 2023: 14k Apr 2023: 12k May 2023: 13k Jun 2023: 13k Jul 2023: 13k Aug 2023: 13k Sep 2023: 13k Oct 2023: 13k Nov 2023: 13k Dec 2023: 13k Jan 2024: 13k Feb 2024: 12k Mar 2024: 12k Apr 2024: 12k May 2024: 12k Jun 2024: 12k Jul 2024: 13k Aug 2024: 12k Sep 2024: 12k Oct 2024: 12k Nov 2024: 12k Dec 2024: 12k Jan 2025: 12k Feb 2025: 11k Mar 2025: 11k Apr 2025: 11k May 2025: 12k Jun 2025: 11k Jul 2025: 12k Aug 2025: 11k Sep 2025: 11k Oct 2025: 12k Nov 2025: 11k Dec 2025: 12k Jan 2026: 11k Feb 2026: 10k Mar 2026: 11k Apr 2026: 11k May 2026: 11k Jun 2026: 11k Jul 2026: 12k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to May 2026

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At a glance

  • Therapeutic class Antiepileptic drugs
  • Presentations 15 shown
  • Average cost / item £11.29
  • Year on year Down 9.5% 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 Phenobarbital this month.

Presentations of Phenobarbital, May 2026
Presentation BNF code Items Net ingredient cost
Phenobarbital 30mg tablets 0408010N0AAAJAJ 6,430 £29,381
Phenobarbital 60mg tablets 0408010N0AAALAL 2,467 £14,476
Phenobarbital 15mg tablets 0408010N0AAAIAI 1,310 £16,060
Phenobarbital 50mg/5ml oral solution 0408010N0AACLCL 188 £23,455
Phenobarbital 50mg/5ml oral suspension 0408010N0AAEUEU 117 £9,192
Phenobarbital 15mg/5ml elixir 0408010N0AAACAC 75 £9,424
Phenobarbital 75mg/5ml oral liquid 0408010N0AACPCP 4 £3,654
Phenobarbital 25mg/5ml oral suspension 0408010N0AACWCW 4 £6,272
Phenobarbital 15mg/5ml oral liquid 0408010N0AADMDM 3 £2,233
Phenobarbital 30mg/5ml oral liquid 0408010N0AACRCR 2 £1,083
Phenobarbital 20mg/5ml oral liquid 0408010N0AACYCY 2 £400
Phenobarbital 150mg/5ml oral liquid 0408010N0AADADA 2 £2,441
Phenobarbital 10mg/5ml oral liquid 0408010N0AACUCU 1 £446
Phenobarbital 250mg/5ml oral liquid 0408010N0AADIDI 1 £747
Phenobarbital 25mg/5ml oral solution 0408010N0AAEVEV 1 £460

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

Where Phenobarbital is dispensed

The regions and dispensing practices with the highest Phenobarbital volumes.

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

Compare Phenobarbital with

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

Download this data

The monthly series for Phenobarbital 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.