The DFM quarterly data release is an official statistics release. It is produced with full consideration of the standards set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics.
We also release an annual DFM statistical report. You can view the latest version on the Dependency Forming Medicines – England – 2024/25 webpage.
Latest release - 2025/2026 Quarter 1
Published 11 September 2025.
Key findings:
In England in Q1 2025/26:
There were 16.5 million items for dependency-forming medicines prescribed to an estimated 4.37 million identified patients.
Opioid drugs were the most prescribed dependency-forming medicines with 9.67 million items at a cost of £64.5 million.
The cost of dependency-forming medicines prescribed was £83.7 million. This represents a 57% decrease from Q1 2015/16.
The decline in cost is mainly due to:
- an 84% decline in the total cost of gabapentoid prescribing since Q1 2015/16 - this was mainly due to a steep decline between 2016/17 and 2018/19 when pregabalin came off patent, which meant cheaper generic equivalents could be prescribed from August 2017.
- a 39% decrease in the total cost of opioid drugs since Q1 2015/16.
Prescribing of dependency-forming medicines was most prevalent in female patients aged 60 to 64 years, with 291,000 identified patients.
The most deprived areas had 78% more identified patients receiving dependency-forming medications than the least deprived areas.
Resource list:
The 2025/26 Quarter 4 summary tables contain data from April 2015 to June 2025.
Quarter 1 2025/2026 summary tables (Excel: 2.35MB)
Background
You can find more information on what the data in this publication covers, and what methodology has been used, in the DFM background information and methodology note.
Background information and methodology note (HTML)
Previous releases
In line with our revisions and corrections policy, all data can be updated when new information becomes available that relates to a period already published. You should always use the latest release. Previous releases have been included for reference.
2024/2025
Quarter 4 - published 31 July 2025:
Quarter 4 2024/2025 summary tables (Excel: 2.32MB)
Quarter 3 - published 6 March 2025:
Quarter 3 2024/2025 summary tables (Excel: 2.26MB)
Quarter 2 - published 5 December 2024:
Quarter 2 2024/2025 summary tables (Excel: 2.20MB)
Quarter 1 - published 5 September 2024:
Quarter 1 2024/2025 summary tables (Excel: 2.14MB)
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Contact us
If you have any questions, comments, or would like more information you can email statistics@nhsbsa.nhs.uk.