Moderate-to-severe pain: Medication Cost, US vs UK
Moderate-to-severe pain is sometimes treated with opioid analgesics, which are controlled substances carrying dependence and overdose risk and are prescribed under tight clinical control. The figures below are cost information only, not a recommendation to use them.
How much do opioid pain medications cost in the US vs the UK?
Moderate-to-severe pain is sometimes treated with opioid analgesics, which are controlled substances carrying dependence and overdose risk and are prescribed under tight clinical control. The figures below are cost information only, not a recommendation to use them. On average US Medicare Part D spend per dose (calendar year 2024, CMS), the options range from $0.1109 (Tramadol HCl) to $0.3347 (Oxycodone-Acetaminophen); the most-prescribed is Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen at $0.2754. In England, an NHS patient pays a flat £9.90 per item for any of them (2026/27 (from 1 April 2026)). The two figures are different measures and are not converted. Information only — not medical advice.
Not medical advice. The figures on this page are drawn unchanged from public government datasets for general information only. They are not price quotes and not a substitute for professional advice. What you actually pay depends on your country, pharmacy, insurance, manufacturer, dose and region. Never start, stop or switch a medication on cost grounds without a licensed pharmacist or clinician.
The US figure is Medicare Part D PROGRAM spending per dosage unit (in US dollars), not a cash price; the UK figure is the patient's flat NHS charge per item (in pounds). They measure different things in different currencies and are shown side by side, never converted into one another.
Cheapest by US spend
Tramadol HCl
$0.1109 avg Medicare Part D spend per dose
Priciest by US spend
Oxycodone-Acetaminophen
$0.3347 avg Medicare Part D spend per dose
| Drug | US per dose | England patient | 2024 US claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tramadol HCl | $0.1109 | £9.90 | 12,939,330 |
| Oxycodone HCl | $0.1998 | £9.90 | 9,162,608 |
| Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen | $0.2754 | £9.90 | 20,107,206 |
| Oxycodone-Acetaminophen | $0.3347 | £9.90 | 8,883,473 |
In England, every one of these costs the patient the same £9.90 per item — capped by a £114.50/year Prepayment Certificate and free with an exemption (and free outright in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).
Compare an individual medicine
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cheapest medication for moderate-to-severe pain?
- By average US Medicare Part D spend per dose (calendar year 2024), the lowest-cost option among the opioid pain medications listed here is Tramadol HCl at $0.1109. That is a cost figure only — the right medicine for you is a clinical decision.
- What does treating moderate-to-severe pain cost on the NHS in England?
- In England, an NHS patient pays a flat £9.90 per dispensed prescription item (2026/27 (from 1 April 2026), frozen) — the same charge for any drug, whatever it costs the NHS — or nothing at all with a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (£114.50/year cap, worth it above 11 items/year) or an exemption. NHS prescriptions are free outright in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Why such a wide US cost range for moderate-to-severe pain?
- Because the medicines used span older low-cost generics and newer branded drugs. The cheapest (Tramadol HCl, $0.1109/dose) and priciest (Oxycodone-Acetaminophen, $0.3347/dose) here differ on the US per-dose measure — yet in England the patient pays the same £9.90 for either.
Talk to a clinician about moderate-to-severe pain
A GeraClinic clinician can review your treatment, explain lower-cost options where clinically appropriate, and issue or renew a prescription online — without travelling to a clinic.
Contains public sector information published by U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and licensed under the U.S. Government Works / Public Domain. Source: CMS Medicare Part D Spending by Drug (calendar year 2024, published 2026-06-25).
Contains public sector information published by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), NHS England & DHSC and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS prescription charges (England) — NHSBSA / NHS England / DHSC (2026/27 (from 1 April 2026), published 2026-04-01).