Top 10 drugs

(Aust Prescr 2006;29:5)

These tables show the top 10 subsidised drugs in 2004-05. The tables do not include private prescriptions.

Table 1 Table 2
Top 10 drugs supplied by DDD/1000 pop/day *  Top 10 drugs by prescription counts
 
DrugPBS/RPBS † DrugPBS/RPBS †
 
1.atorvastatin 98.173 1.atorvastatin 8,074,202
2.simvastatin55.967 2.simvastatin6,275,577
3.ramipril 33.741 3.paracetamol4,772,865
4.diltiazem hydrochloride30.097 4.omeprazole4,411,857
5.omeprazole20.628 5.irbesartan 3,370,315
6.irbesartan 20.169 6.atenolol 3,247,475
7.salbutamol 18.844 7.salbutamol 3,062,355
8.frusemide 18.775 8.esomeprazole 2,983,645
9.aspirin18.162 9.irbesartan with hydrochlorothiazide 2,938,448
10.sertraline 17.604 10.ramipril 2,903,048
 

 

Table 3
Top 10 drugs by cost to Government
DrugCost to GovernmentDDD/1000/day

Prescriptions

 ($A)PBS/RPBS †PBS/RPBS †
1.atorvastatin 460,930,25198.1738,074,202
2.simvastatin369,659,052  55.967 6,275,577 
3.omeprazole177,075,832  20.628  4,411,857 
4.fluticasone with salmeterol 165,690,424  – ‡ 2,764,969 
5.clopidogrel151,235,466  7.551 1,925,546 
6.olanzapine149,497,256  2.892 710,453 
7.esomeprazole143,233,727  11.465 2,983,645 
8.pravastatin119,587,717  13.983 2,102,171 
9.alendronic acid108,587,183  8.543 2,115,898 
10.pantoprazole104,291,272  10.971  2,586,383 

*The defined daily dose (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.

†PBS Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, RPBS Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

‡Combination drugs do not have a DDD allocated

Source: Drug Utilisation Sub-Committee (DUSC) Drug Utilisation Database, as at 10 Oct 2005. © Commonwealth of Australia

Content created: February - 2006