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ISSUE 6 DECEMBER
Top 10 drugs

Top 10 drugs

These tables show the top 10 subsidised drugs in 2007-08. The tables do not include private prescriptions.

Table 1
Top 10 drugs supplied by DDD/1000 pop/day 1,2
Drug PBS/RPBS3
1. atorvastatin 136.215
2. simvastatin 52.996
3. ramipril 29.266
4. perindopril 23.142
5. esomeprazole 19.445
6. aspirin 18.155
7. frusemide 17.877
8. irbesartan 17.272
9. omeprazole 16.678
10. salbutamol 16.624
Table 2
Top 10 drugs by prescription counts 2
Drug PBS/RPBS3
1. atorvastatin 10 542 015
2. simvastatin 5 773 055
3. esomeprazole 5 221 504
4. perindopril 3 836 043
5. omeprazole 3 702 832
6. paracetamol 3 666 627
7. atenolol 3 245 793
8. pantoprazole 3 150 985
9. irbesartan 3 085 338
10. metformin hydrochloride 2 961 175
Table 3
Top 10 drugs by cost to Government 2
Drug Cost to Government DDD1/1000/day Prescriptions
($A) PBS/RPBS3 PBS/RPBS3
1. atorvastatin 585 491 600 136.215 10 542 015
2. simvastatin 237 274 763 52.996 5 773 055
3. clopidogrel 196 649 817 9.776 2 636 907
4. esomeprazole 184 420 078 19.445 5 221 504
5. salmeterol and fluticasone 160 894 401 -- 2 874 427
6. olanzapine 158 220 450 3.051 864 937
7. omeprazole 108 931 730 16.678 3 702 832
8. rosuvastatin 104 846 840 9.248 1 674 364
9. venlafaxine 104 082 531 13.196 2 644 753
10. tiotropium bromide 100 464 420 5.662 1 437 217
1 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.
2 Based on date of supply
3 PBS Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, RPBS Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
4 Combination drugs do not have a DDD allocated

Source: Drug Utilisation Sub-Committee (DUSC) Drug Utilisation Database, as at 30 October 2008. © Commonwealth of Australia.