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Independent analysis of NHS open data
PharmaInsight

Sodium chloride

Ear, Nose and Oropharynx Drugs acting on the nose BNF 1202020L0
Data updated May 2026 Download CSV

Sodium chloride was ranked 426th of 1,796 medicines by items in May 2026, with 16,237 items, down 0.7% on a year earlier.

16,237items -0.7%

Dispensed in May 2026

165,389items

Rolling 12 months

£919,865

Net ingredient cost · May 2026

Figure 1. Sodium chloride: national items dispensed by month

0 9k 18k Jan 2021 Nov 2021 Sep 2022 Jul 2023 May 2024 Mar 2025 Jul 2026 11,675 Jan 2021: 14k Feb 2021: 13k Mar 2021: 14k Apr 2021: 14k May 2021: 13k Jun 2021: 14k Jul 2021: 14k Aug 2021: 14k Sep 2021: 14k Oct 2021: 14k Nov 2021: 15k Dec 2021: 15k Jan 2022: 14k Feb 2022: 13k Mar 2022: 15k Apr 2022: 14k May 2022: 14k Jun 2022: 14k Jul 2022: 15k Aug 2022: 15k Sep 2022: 14k Oct 2022: 15k Nov 2022: 15k Dec 2022: 16k Jan 2023: 16k Feb 2023: 14k Mar 2023: 16k Apr 2023: 14k May 2023: 15k Jun 2023: 16k Jul 2023: 15k Aug 2023: 15k Sep 2023: 15k Oct 2023: 16k Nov 2023: 16k Dec 2023: 16k Jan 2024: 16k Feb 2024: 16k Mar 2024: 15k Apr 2024: 16k May 2024: 16k Jun 2024: 15k Jul 2024: 16k Aug 2024: 16k Sep 2024: 15k Oct 2024: 17k Nov 2024: 16k Dec 2024: 17k Jan 2025: 17k Feb 2025: 15k Mar 2025: 16k Apr 2025: 16k May 2025: 16k Jun 2025: 16k Jul 2025: 17k Aug 2025: 15k Sep 2025: 16k Oct 2025: 17k Nov 2025: 16k Dec 2025: 18k Jan 2026: 18k Feb 2026: 16k Mar 2026: 17k Apr 2026: 17k May 2026: 16k Jun 2026: 17k Jul 2026: 12k

Source: NHSBSA Prescription Cost Analysis, to May 2026

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At a glance

  • Therapeutic class Drugs acting on the nose
  • Presentations 7 shown
  • Average cost / item £56.65
  • Year on year Down 0.7% 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 Sodium chloride this month.

Presentations of Sodium chloride, May 2026
Presentation BNF code Items Net ingredient cost
Sodium chloride 0.9% neb liq 2.5ml unit dose ampoules 1202020L0AACCCC 12,653 £770,471
Saline Steripoules nebuliser liquid 2.5ml unit dose ampoules 1202020L0BJABCC 2,032 £103,044
Saline 0.9% neb liq 2.5ml Steri-Neb unit dose ampoules 1202020L0BCAACC 1,543 £45,177
Sodium chloride 7% nebuliser liquid 1202020L0AABQBQ 4 £1,084
Sodium chloride 3% nebuliser liquid 1202020L0AABZBZ 3 £74
Sodium chloride 3% nebuliser liquid 10ml unit dose vials 1202020L0AACACA 1 £5
Sodium chloride 3% nebuliser liquid 20ml unit dose vials 1202020L0AACBCB 1 £12

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

Where Sodium chloride is dispensed

The regions and dispensing practices with the highest Sodium chloride volumes.

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

Compare Sodium chloride with

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

Download this data

The monthly series for Sodium chloride 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.