Practical guide

Medication costs

Our prescription fee is £30 for controlled medications (ADHD stimulants) and £25 for non-controlled medications, regardless of how many medications are included. The prices below are quoted from some of the most competitive pharmacies we have identified and represent the lower end of what you might pay. Costs at other pharmacies may be higher, so it is worth shopping around.*

Written and medically reviewed by Dr David Crocker, MRCPsych (GMC 7411382). Last reviewed July 2026.
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Stimulants
Lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse) CD
20–70 mg once daily. Prodrug of dexamfetamine; smooth onset and offset over 10–12 hours. First-line stimulant option in many guidelines.
£70 – £105
Methylphenidate MR — generic (Xaggitin XL / Delmosart) CD
18–54 mg once daily. Generic modified-release methylphenidate. Same active ingredient as branded versions at a fraction of the cost.
£19 – £48
Methylphenidate MR — Concerta XL CD
18–54 mg once daily. OROS delivery system provides ascending plasma levels over 12 hours. Branded; considerably more expensive than generic equivalents.
£37 – £88
Methylphenidate MR — Medikinet XL CD
10–60 mg once daily. 50:50 immediate/modified-release beads; can be sprinkled on food. Duration approximately 8 hours.
£29 – £81
Methylphenidate MR — Equasym XL CD
10–30 mg once daily. 30:70 immediate/modified-release ratio; shorter duration of approximately 8 hours. Can be sprinkled on food.
£30 – £42
Methylphenidate IR CD
5–20 mg tablets, twice or thrice daily. Immediate-release; short duration of 3–4 hours. Useful for flexible dosing or as a top-up alongside MR preparations. Monthly cost depends on dose and number of daily doses.
£10 – £30
Dexamfetamine (Amfexa) CD
5–20 mg tablets, twice or thrice daily. Immediate-release amphetamine; short duration. Monthly cost varies considerably with dose and number of daily doses.
£17 – £100
Non-stimulants
Atomoxetine (generic)
40–100 mg once daily. Noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor; not a controlled drug. Takes 4–6 weeks for full effect. Well-tolerated generic now widely available.
£25 – £35
Atomoxetine (branded / limited stock)
40–80 mg once daily. Same medication, but branded or when generic is out of stock. Check availability before assuming this cost: generic is usually obtainable.
£63 – £95
Guanfacine (Intuniv)
1–4 mg once daily. Alpha-2 agonist; not a controlled drug. Particularly useful when stimulants are contraindicated or poorly tolerated. Requires blood pressure monitoring.
£67 – £91+
Clonidine
50–300 mcg/day, twice or thrice daily. Alpha-2 agonist; off-label for ADHD but well-established. Particularly helpful for hyperarousal, sleep difficulties and tic disorders.
£3 – £20
No medications in this category match the selected cost filter.
SSRIs
Citalopram
10–40 mg once daily. Well-established first-line SSRI. QTc prolongation at higher doses (max 20 mg in over-65s).
£5 – £8
Escitalopram
5–20 mg once daily. S-enantiomer of citalopram; some evidence of superior efficacy and tolerability at equivalent doses.
£5 – £8
Fluoxetine
20–60 mg once daily. Long half-life reduces discontinuation symptoms. First-line in younger adults; can be activating.
£5 – £10
Paroxetine
20–50 mg once daily. Effective for anxiety disorders and OCD. Higher risk of discontinuation symptoms than other SSRIs; taper carefully.
£5 – £10
Sertraline
50–200 mg once daily. First-line for depression, PTSD, panic disorder and social anxiety. Generally well tolerated; most evidence base of any SSRI.
£5 – £12
SNRIs and other newer antidepressants
Duloxetine
30–120 mg once daily. SNRI; also licensed for generalised anxiety disorder and neuropathic pain. Cheap generic now available.
£5 – £10
Venlafaxine MR
75–375 mg once daily. SNRI; noradrenergic effects emerge at higher doses. Requires blood pressure monitoring. Significant discontinuation syndrome: taper slowly.
£8 – £20
Mirtazapine
15–45 mg once nightly. Noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant. Sedating and appetite-stimulating, particularly at lower doses.
£5 – £8
Mirtazapine orodispersible
15–45 mg once nightly. Dissolves on the tongue; useful if swallowing tablets is difficult. Slightly more expensive than standard tablets.
£5 – £10
Trazodone
50–300 mg once or twice daily. Sedating at low doses; used off-label for insomnia. Antidepressant effect at higher doses. Rarely causes priapism.
£5 – £15
Agomelatine (Valdoxan)
25–50 mg once nightly. Melatonergic agonist and 5-HT2C antagonist; minimal sexual side effects and weight gain. Requires liver function monitoring. No generic available.
£22 – £40
Vortioxetine (Brintellix)
5–20 mg once daily. Multimodal antidepressant with evidence for cognitive benefits. Low sexual side-effect burden. No generic competition in the UK.
£30 – £40
Bupropion (Zyban)
150–300 mg once or twice daily. Noradrenaline-dopamine reuptake inhibitor; no sexual side effects or weight gain. Also used for smoking cessation. Lowers seizure threshold.
£25 – £50
Tricyclics
Amitriptyline
10–150 mg once daily, usually at night. At low doses (10–25 mg) widely used for neuropathic pain, migraine prophylaxis and insomnia.
£5 – £8
Clomipramine
10–250 mg once or twice daily. Gold-standard pharmacotherapy for OCD. Higher-dose treatment may require multiple packs per month.
£8 – £20
All SSRIs, duloxetine and venlafaxine are available as cheap generics. For these medications, cost is driven mainly by the pharmacy’s dispensing fee rather than the drug itself. Agomelatine, vortioxetine and bupropion remain more expensive as they have limited or no generic competition in the UK.
No medications in this category match the selected cost filter.
Anxiolytics
Buspirone
5–15 mg twice or thrice daily. Non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic; not a controlled drug. Takes 2–4 weeks to work. No dependence potential.
£8 – £20
Diazepam CD
2–15 mg once or twice daily. Long-acting benzodiazepine. Risk of dependence with regular use; typically reserved for short-term or as-needed use only.
£5 – £8
Alprazolam CD
250 mcg – 3 mg twice or thrice daily. Short-acting benzodiazepine; rapid onset but higher dependence risk. Typically short-term use only.
£8 – £15
Clonazepam CD
500 mcg – 8 mg once or twice daily. Long-acting benzodiazepine; also used for epilepsy and certain movement disorders.
£8 – £15
Beta-blockers
Propranolol
10–40 mg as needed or twice/thrice daily. Reduces physical symptoms of anxiety (tremor, palpitations, sweating). Not a controlled drug. Useful for performance anxiety.
£5 – £10
Propranolol MR
80–160 mg once daily. Modified-release; convenient once-daily dosing for ongoing anxiety management.
£8 – £12
Benzodiazepines are typically prescribed for short-term use only. In Scotland, pharmacies will not dispense more than 30 days’ supply at a time. Buspirone and propranolol are not subject to these restrictions.
No medications in this category match the selected cost filter.
Aripiprazole
5–30 mg once daily. Partial dopamine agonist; lower metabolic side-effect burden than other antipsychotics. Used for psychosis, bipolar disorder and as augmentation in depression.
£5 – £10
Olanzapine
2.5–20 mg once daily. Effective for psychosis and bipolar disorder. Higher risk of weight gain and metabolic syndrome; requires monitoring.
£5 – £10
Quetiapine IR
25–800 mg once to thrice daily. Sedating at low doses; used for insomnia and anxiety augmentation at 25–100 mg, and as an antipsychotic at higher doses.
£5 – £15
Quetiapine MR
50–800 mg once daily. Modified-release; less sedating peak than IR formulation. More expensive but may improve adherence with once-daily dosing.
£12 – £25
No medications in this category match the selected cost filter.
Melatonin and newer options
Melatonin 2 mg MR (generic)
2 mg once nightly. Modified-release melatonin; helps with sleep onset and maintenance. Not a controlled drug. Very affordable.
£3 – £5
Melatonin 2 mg MR (Circadin)
2 mg once nightly. Branded version; identical medication but more expensive. No clinical advantage over generic.
£18 – £25
Daridorexant (Quviviq)
25–50 mg once nightly. Dual orexin receptor antagonist; newer mechanism for insomnia. Non-addictive. No generic available.
£50 – £55
Hypnotics
Zopiclone CD
3.75–7.5 mg once nightly. Z-drug; short-term use for insomnia (typically 2–4 weeks). Metallic taste is a common side effect.
£5 – £8
Zolpidem CD
5–10 mg once nightly. Z-drug; very short-acting, best for sleep-onset insomnia. Same short-term use caveats as zopiclone.
£5 – £8
Nitrazepam CD
5–10 mg once nightly. Benzodiazepine hypnotic; longer-acting than Z-drugs. Risk of next-day sedation. Short-term use only.
£5 – £8
Temazepam CD
10–20 mg once nightly. Benzodiazepine hypnotic; intermediate duration.
£15 – £30
Sedating antihistamine
Promethazine (Phenergan)
25–50 mg once nightly. First-generation antihistamine; sedating. Not a controlled drug and no dependence risk. Available over the counter.
£5 – £10
No medications in this category match the selected cost filter.
Gabapentin CD
300–3,600 mg thrice daily. Anticonvulsant used off-label for anxiety, neuropathic pain and alcohol dependence. Higher doses require multiple packs.
£5 – £18
Pregabalin CD
25–600 mg twice daily. Licensed for generalised anxiety disorder, neuropathic pain and epilepsy. Higher misuse potential than gabapentin.
£5 – £18
Lamotrigine
25–400 mg once or twice daily. Mood stabiliser; particularly effective for bipolar depression. Requires very slow titration due to risk of serious skin rash (Stevens-Johnson syndrome). Not a controlled drug.
£5 – £12
Gabapentin and pregabalin are controlled medications, requiring a specific prescription type. All three are available as cheap generics. Higher doses may require multiple packs per month.
No medications in this category match the selected cost filter.
Modafinil (Provigil)
100–400 mg once daily. Wakefulness-promoting agent; licensed for narcolepsy. Used off-label for fatigue in depression and shift-work disorder. Not a controlled drug in the UK.
£15 – £35
No medications in this category match the selected cost filter.
Important information

*About these prices. Approximate monthly costs from some of the cheapest pharmacies we have found. Prices vary by dose and can change at short notice. Last reviewed March 2026. We are happy to recommend specific pharmacies during your appointment.

Controlled drugs. Medications marked with CD are controlled drugs. A physical prescription is required by law, valid for 28 days, typically covering one month’s supply. We post this to you or directly to your pharmacy by Royal Mail Tracked 24, so delivery is timely and its progress can be followed. Before prescribing a controlled medication, we will normally require a summary of your current medications and relevant medical history from your GP, and your consent for us to share prescribing information with your GP. This is a standard clinical safeguard to ensure safe prescribing. Where there is a delay in obtaining GP records, we may take alternative steps to verify key safety information before prescribing.

Monitoring. Certain medications require baseline blood tests, blood pressure readings, an ECG, or other checks before prescribing can begin. These are mandatory safety requirements, not optional. Ongoing monitoring is also required at dose changes and at regular intervals during treatment, in line with NICE guidance. Your GP can usually arrange these free of charge on the NHS. If this is not possible, we can advise on private options. Your psychiatrist will confirm exactly what is needed before any prescription is issued. See our FAQ on what physical health checks might be needed and how they are arranged for more detail.

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