NHS access to promising sleeping pill daridorexant is patchy, say doctors

Prescribing of non-addictive drug in England clustered in London and West Midlands, with cheaper alternative issued far more often

Tens of thousands of prescriptions have been issued in England for a promising and non-addictive new sleeping pill, but doctors say NHS uptake is being held back by cost and patchy awareness.

Daridorexant, approved last year, has been prescribed 67,000 times since November 2023, at an estimated cost of £2.6m to the NHS. The drug has been hailed for helping people fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and wake up clear-headed – without the dependency risks of traditional pills.