NEUVIOR | Medicines Intelligence
Medicine,
at scale.
A national picture.
A more useful question.
Explore England’s published community dispensing data by BNF chapter. Choose a measure, compare the categories and inspect the exact values behind the view.
NEUVIOR | Decision lens
The volume.
The cost.
The difference.
Two chapters can occupy very different places in the same medicines system.
Set dispensing activity beside ingredient cost. Compare two chapters, see the mix behind their national shares, then shape a question your team could investigate.
England | Community dispensing | 2025/26
Cardiovascular System accounts for 2.65× as many items as Endocrine System.Endocrine System accounts for 2.01× as much NIC as Cardiovascular System.
Activity meets ingredient cost.
Each point is one chapter. Both axes show a share of the same selected scope. Chapter codes identify the points.
Above the diagonal: a larger cost share than item share. Below: a larger item share than cost share. Position describes product mix; it does not judge clinical value or efficiency.
Your focus | Chapter 02
Cardiovascular System
- Items
- 392,260,162
- Ingredient cost (NIC)
- £1,201,327,864.43
- Average NIC per item
- £3.06
0.34×the selected scope’s average NIC per item
Compare with | Chapter 06
Endocrine System
- Items
- 147,791,369
- Ingredient cost (NIC)
- £2,409,811,556.86
- Average NIC per item
- £16.31
1.82×the selected scope’s average NIC per item
NIC per item = chapter NIC ÷ chapter items. The relative mix ratio divides that average by the selected scope’s average of £8.97. These are aggregate, mix-dependent comparisons; they are not medicine prices, patient costs, pharmacy margins or potential savings. Share tracks run from 0% to 100%.
Make the comparison useful
What would you
ask next?
Where does high dispensing activity meet the work your team actually has to do?
Bring a defined period of local item mix, supply exceptions and staff time. National items are not a measurement of your workload, margin or capacity.
Save this comparison noteTwo selected chapters, exact values, the denominator, your question and the original source. No personal information is requested.
Inspect all 21 source rows
| Chapter | Items | NIC | Item share | NIC share | NIC per item |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Gastro-Intestinal System | 120,856,411 | £740,386,441.53 | 9.3% | 6.4% | £6.13 |
| 02 | Cardiovascular System | 392,260,162 | £1,201,327,864.43 | 30.2% | 10.3% | £3.06 |
| 03 | Respiratory System | 75,291,533 | £1,251,217,381.32 | 5.8% | 10.7% | £16.62 |
| 04 | Central Nervous System | 242,802,890 | £1,658,678,166.68 | 18.7% | 14.2% | £6.83 |
| 05 | Infections | 40,770,492 | £237,354,471.76 | 3.1% | 2.0% | £5.82 |
| 06 | Endocrine System | 147,791,369 | £2,409,811,556.86 | 11.4% | 20.7% | £16.31 |
| 07 | Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Urinary-Tract Disorders | 37,272,664 | £304,439,667.38 | 2.9% | 2.6% | £8.17 |
| 08 | Malignant Disease and Immunosuppression | 4,714,310 | £182,255,426.89 | 0.4% | 1.6% | £38.66 |
| 09 | Nutrition and Blood | 73,602,005 | £968,488,385.75 | 5.7% | 8.3% | £13.16 |
| 10 | Musculoskeletal and Joint Diseases | 32,649,871 | £148,442,413.08 | 2.5% | 1.3% | £4.55 |
| 11 | Eye | 15,549,224 | £176,077,809.56 | 1.2% | 1.5% | £11.32 |
| 12 | Ear, Nose and Oropharynx | 11,830,777 | £97,620,115.30 | 0.9% | 0.8% | £8.25 |
| 13 | Skin | 27,043,811 | £330,646,286.56 | 2.1% | 2.8% | £12.23 |
| 14 | Immunological Products and Vaccines | 14,978,100 | £251,728,716.44 | 1.2% | 2.2% | £16.81 |
| 15 | Anaesthesia | 1,835,408 | £25,287,585.70 | 0.1% | 0.2% | £13.78 |
| 18 | Preparations used in Diagnosis | 47 | £10,587.50 | <0.1% | <0.1% | £225.27 |
| 19 | Other Drugs and Preparations | 581,897 | £11,626,309.82 | <0.1% | <0.1% | £19.98 |
| 20 | Dressings | 5,215,344 | £179,956,754.27 | 0.4% | 1.5% | £34.51 |
| 21 | Appliances | 41,517,499 | £940,617,978.75 | 3.2% | 8.1% | £22.66 |
| 22 | Incontinence Appliances | 2,798,692 | £70,769,292.65 | 0.2% | 0.6% | £25.29 |
| 23 | Stoma Appliances | 8,154,201 | £455,130,338.37 | 0.6% | 3.9% | £55.82 |
NHSBSA | Prescription Cost Analysis, England 2025/26Chapter product groupings | Published 4 June 2026 | Open Government Licence v3.0Community dispensing, including applicable advanced-service supplies. Hospital pharmacy dispensing, private prescriptions and prison dispensing are outside this view. Definitions and methodology
Look closer at
medicines use.
The biggest volume is not always the biggest share of cost.
Explore England's published community-dispensing categories. Compare items with ingredient cost, then select a category to understand its place in the whole.
2025/26 | England | Community dispensing
All 21 published chapters, including pseudo chapters 18–23. Search and sort keep this denominator fixed.
Share of NIC
21 of 21 categories
Bars show share of the selected scope from a zero baseline. A high share is a reason to examine the context; it does not demonstrate waste.
21 categories shown. Endocrine System selected. 20.7 percent of NIC in the selected scope.
Read the source values
| BNF code and category | Items | NIC (GBP) | Share of NIC | Average NIC/item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06 | Endocrine System | 147,791,369 | £2,409,811,556.86 | 20.7% | £16.31 |
| 04 | Central Nervous System | 242,802,890 | £1,658,678,166.68 | 14.2% | £6.83 |
| 03 | Respiratory System | 75,291,533 | £1,251,217,381.32 | 10.7% | £16.62 |
| 02 | Cardiovascular System | 392,260,162 | £1,201,327,864.43 | 10.3% | £3.06 |
| 09 | Nutrition and Blood | 73,602,005 | £968,488,385.75 | 8.3% | £13.16 |
| 21 | Appliances | 41,517,499 | £940,617,978.75 | 8.1% | £22.66 |
| 01 | Gastro-Intestinal System | 120,856,411 | £740,386,441.53 | 6.4% | £6.13 |
| 23 | Stoma Appliances | 8,154,201 | £455,130,338.37 | 3.9% | £55.82 |
| 13 | Skin | 27,043,811 | £330,646,286.56 | 2.8% | £12.23 |
| 07 | Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Urinary-Tract Disorders | 37,272,664 | £304,439,667.38 | 2.6% | £8.17 |
| 14 | Immunological Products and Vaccines | 14,978,100 | £251,728,716.44 | 2.2% | £16.81 |
| 05 | Infections | 40,770,492 | £237,354,471.76 | 2.0% | £5.82 |
| 08 | Malignant Disease and Immunosuppression | 4,714,310 | £182,255,426.89 | 1.6% | £38.66 |
| 20 | Dressings | 5,215,344 | £179,956,754.27 | 1.5% | £34.51 |
| 11 | Eye | 15,549,224 | £176,077,809.56 | 1.5% | £11.32 |
| 10 | Musculoskeletal and Joint Diseases | 32,649,871 | £148,442,413.08 | 1.3% | £4.55 |
| 12 | Ear, Nose and Oropharynx | 11,830,777 | £97,620,115.30 | 0.8% | £8.25 |
| 22 | Incontinence Appliances | 2,798,692 | £70,769,292.65 | 0.6% | £25.29 |
| 15 | Anaesthesia | 1,835,408 | £25,287,585.70 | 0.2% | £13.78 |
| 19 | Other Drugs and Preparations | 581,897 | £11,626,309.82 | <0.1% | £19.98 |
| 18 | Preparations used in Diagnosis | 47 | £10,587.50 | <0.1% | £225.27 |
What the data can tell you
The NHSBSA uses the BNF classification system from before edition 70, with six additional pseudo chapters 18–23. Categories describe product groupings, not verified patient diagnoses or complete therapy-area expenditure.
Net Ingredient Cost (NIC): basic product price multiplied by quantity, before deduction of dispenser discounts and excluding dispensing fees. Not final net NHS expenditure or pharmacy purchase cost.
Number of reported prescription items; not patients, tablets, doses or treatment courses.
Hospital and prison dispensing, private prescriptions and England-issued items dispensed outside England. This is not a complete account of a therapy area across all care settings.
The 2025/26 release includes applicable pharmacy advanced-service supplies, with newly included seasonal flu vaccination reporting identified in the current narrative.
Category value divided by the selected scope's total for the same metric. Search and sort do not change the scope denominator.
NHSBSA | Prescription Cost Analysis – England 2025/26Published 4 June 2026 | Checked 13 October 2026 | Open Government Licence v3.0
A chapter is
a useful lens.
It is the beginning of an investigation.
The British National Formulary groups medicines by chapter. Those categories give a national dispensing picture structure, but a chapter is broader than a single therapy, diagnosis or patient group.
The complete PCA view also contains pseudo chapters and non-medicine supplies, including dressings, appliances, incontinence appliances and stoma appliances. The scope control makes that distinction visible.
Search narrows the displayed rows while retaining the stated scope denominator. A category’s share therefore keeps the same meaning as you move through the view.
Volume and cost
answer different
questions.
A high number of items identifies activity within the published scope. A high net ingredient cost identifies a different part of the national picture. Neither tells us which individual review should take priority.
Average net ingredient cost per item is a mix-dependent ratio. Different medicines, formulations, quantities and supplies sit behind it. It should not be read as the price of a particular medicine, a patient’s bill or an estimate of achievable savings.
Useful comparison keeps the reporting period, geography, coverage and cost definition together. This view uses England’s 2025/26 community dispensing tables; it does not combine hospital activity or another country’s pricing system.
A national signal.
A local question.
What would your team want to understand next?
A pharmacy owner may ask where professional workload is changing. A medicines team may want to examine a specific evidence case. An industry analyst may need to understand the composition behind a category.
The national view gives a starting point. A useful next investigation needs the organisation’s actual question, appropriate local information and qualified review. PHARMORIS is being developed around that connection between evidence, the decision and the work that follows.
This explorer is one early example of NEUVIOR’s public-data direction. Further sources will be added only when their definitions, permissions and comparisons support a useful question.
Explore PHARMORIS | The Medicines Action Layer, or discuss a medicines intelligence question.
