Top 10 Drugs

(Aust Prescr 2007;30:142)

These tables show the top 10 subsidised drugs in 2006–07. The tables do not include private prescriptions.

Table 1
Top 10 drugs supplied by DDD*/1000 pop/day †
Drug PBS/RPBS‡
1. atorvastatin 131.799
2. simvastatin 58.072
3. ramipril 30.451
4. perindopril21.681
5. aspirin18.01
6. omeprazole17.996
7. frusemide17.984
8. irbesartan17.28
9. salbutamol17.116
10. esomeprazole16.802
Table 2
Top 10 drugs by prescription counts †
Drug PBS/RPBS‡
1. atorvastatin 10 000 495
2. simvastatin 6 231 212
3. esomeprazole4 428 530
4. omeprazole 3 882 359
5. paracetamol 3 754 140
6. perindopril3 633 536
7. atenolol 3 217 151
8. irbesartan 2 989 359
9. pantoprazole2 922 724
10. metformin hydrochloride 2 822 776
Table 3
Top 10 drugs by cost to Government †
Drug Cost to Government DDD*/1000/dayPrescriptions
($A) PBS/RPBS‡PBS/RPBS‡
1. atorvastatin 562 234 406 131.799 10 000 495
2. simvastatin 309 227 367 58.702 6 231 212
3. clopidogrel 179 983 7329.219 2 404 361
4. esomeprazole161 102 42016.8024 428 530
5. olanzapine 157 471 533 3.073775 475
6. salmeterol and fluticasone 157 239 113 — §2 789 814
7. omeprazole 114 030 88117.996 3 882 359
8. pravastatin93 389 80913.537 1 870 879
9. venlafaxine93 329 21011.603 2 318 531
10. tiotropium bromide91 223 52911.9871 303 682
* 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.
† Based on date of supply
‡ 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 11 October 2007. © Commonwealth of Australia.

NPS RADAR December 2007

Strontium ranelate: The PBS listing for the osteoporosis drug strontium ranelate has been extended to allow treatment of postmenopausal women without an existing fracture and a bone mineral density T-score ≤ -3.0 (primary prevention). The latest issue of NPS RADAR describes the place in therapy of strontium relative to other anti-resorptive agents.

It also contains information on:

  • the listing of the anticonvulsant drug topiramate as an alternative treatment for migraine prevention, for adults unable to tolerate beta blockers or pizotifen
  • updated safety information for the glitazones - rosiglitazone and pioglitazone.

See the complete reviews at www.npsradar.org.au


Content created: December - 2007