Tables 1–3 show the top 10 drugs for the year July 2018 – June 2019. The figures are based on PBS and RPBS prescriptions from the date of supply. The figures include prescriptions under the co-payment (non-subsidised).

Table 1 - Top 10 PBS/RPBS drugs by DDD/1000 population/day

Drug

DDD/1000 pop/day*

1. atorvastatin

71 .35

2. rosuvastatin

57.44

3. perindopril

51 .67

4. amlodipine

47.95

5. candesartan

32.90

6. irbesartan

31 .48

7. telmisartan

31 .26

8. esomeprazole

27.62

9. ramipril

26.97

10. metformin

25.1 4

Table 2 - Top 10 PBS/RPBS drugs by prescription counts

Drug

Prescriptions

1. rosuvastatin

12,026,655

2. atorvastatin

10,967,105

3. esomeprazole

9,278,12 5

4. pantoprazole

7,375,606

5. perindopril

6,551 ,5 7 1

6. cefalexin

5,643,2 87

7. amoxicillin

5,254,8 1 1

8. metformin

5,0 17,700

9. amoxicillin + clavulanic acid

 4,706,645

10. escitalopram

4,533,725

Table 3 - Top 10 PBS/RPBS drugs by cost to government (does not include rebates)

Drug

Cost to government

DDD/1000 pop/day*

Prescriptions

1. sofosbuvir + velpatasvir†

$391 ,007,833

25,447

2. aflibercept

$358,636,7 2 1

289,522

3. adalimumab

$3 17,436,1 7 5

0.74

246,220

4. nivolumab

$267,738,344

53,8 61

5. pembrolizumab

$220,469,394

25,676

6. denosumab

$218 ,970,1 1 8

16.80

786,535

7. ranibizumab

$207,1 63 ,441

180,7 2 1

8. ustekinumab

$178 ,790,589

0.44

25,7 3 1

9. glecaprevir + pibrentasvir†

$173 ,610,672

9,207

10. apixaban

$170,049,3 5 1

5.55

2,088,604

DDD defined daily dose
PBS Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
RPBS Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

* DDD/1000 population/day is a more useful measure of drug utilisation than prescription counts. It shows how many people in every thousand Austrralians 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 2018.
† DDDs for combination products are accounted for in constituent drugs
‡ The World Health Organization has not allocated a DDD for this drug Source: Department of Health, December 2019. ©Commonwealth of Australia

 

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