Tables 1–3 show the top 10 subsidised drugs for the year July 2015 – June 2016. The figures are based on PBS and RPBS prescriptions from the date of supply, and do not include private prescriptions or prescriptions under the co-payment.
This year’s tables are notable for the arrival of the drugs which aim to eradicate hepatitis C. Table 3 shows that since the drugs were subsidised in March 2016 the expenditure on sofosbuvir alone, or in combination with ledipasvir, is approaching $1 billion.
Table 1 - Top 10 drugs by DDD/1000 pop/day *
Drug
DDD/1000 pop/day *
1. atorvastatin
52.81
2. perindopril
33.82
3. rosuvastatin
33.56
4. amlodipine
30.66
5. paracetamol
26.85
6. irbesartan
25.60
7. esomeprazole
23.18
8. candesartan
22.71
9. ramipril
20.40
10. telmisartan
18.87
Table 2 - Top 10 drugs by prescription counts
Drug
Prescriptions
1. atorvastatin
7 630 309
2. esomeprazole
6 889 031
3. rosuvastatin
6 540 962
4. paracetamol
5 056 087
5. pantoprazole
4 747 823
6. perindopril
4 049 113
7. metformin
3 578 536
8. pregabalin
3 237 101
9. fluticasone and
salmeterol
3 003 985
10. salbutamol
2 975 537
Table 3 - Top 10 drugs by cost to government
Drug
Cost to government (A$)
DDD/1000 pop/day *
Prescriptions
1. ledipasvir and
sofosbuvir
570 730 056
†
25 205
2. sofosbuvir
372 094 623
0.14
18 738
3. adalimumab
335 857 859
0.62
194 405
4. ranibizumab
241 256 012
†
163 595
5. aflibercept
231 194 036
†
155 404
6. esomeprazole
170 554 177
23.18
6 889 031
7. etanercept
166 538 773
0.32
97 291
8. trastuzumab
157 134 2 1 1
†
50 217
9. fluticasone and
salmeterol
148 878 399
†
3 003 985
10. insulin glargine
146 202 125
7.71
367 253
* DDD/thousand population/day is a more useful measure of drug
utilisation than prescription counts. It shows how many people in every
thousand Australians are taking the standard dose of a drug every day. DDD
includes use in combination products. The calculation is based on ABS 3101.0
– Australian Demographic Statistics for December 2015 (as at March 2016).
† The World Health
Organization has not allocated a DDD for this drug.
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