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ISSUE 6 DECEMBER
Top 10 drugs

Top 10 drugs

These tables show the top 10 subsidised drugs in 2005-06. The tables do not include private prescriptions.

Table 1
Top 10 drugs supplied by DDD*/1000 pop/day †
Drug PBS/RPBS‡
1. atorvastatin 116.088
2. simvastatin 58.702
3. ramipril 35.897
4. diltiazem hydrochloride 26.970
5. omeprazole 19.531
6. frusemide 18.420
7. salbutamol 18.073
8. aspirin 18.047
9. sertraline 18.039
10. irbesartan 17.971
Table 2
Top 10 drugs by prescription counts †
Drug PBS/RPBS‡
1. atorvastatin 9 045 273
2. simvastatin 6 355 305
3. paracetamol 4 205 023
4. omeprazole 4 180 429
5. esomeprazole 3 715 500
6. atenolol 3 259 401
7. perindopril 3 124 409
8. irbesartan 3 025 037
9. ramipril 3 024 099
10. irbesartan with hydrochlorothiazide 2 962 120
Table 3
Top 10 drugs by cost to Government †
Drug Cost to Government DDD*/1000/day Prescriptions
($A) PBS/RPBS‡ PBS/RPBS‡
1. atorvastatin 522 357 695 116.088 9 045 273
2. simvastatin 330 247 669 58.702 6 355 305
3. esomeprazole 169 953 743 14.265 3 715 500
4. clopidogrel 169 947 052 8.485 2 179 960
5. salmeterol and fluticasone 165 917 558 — § 2 839 015
6. olanzapine 154 623 092 3.016 745 603
7. omeprazole 149 094 755 19.531 4 180 429
8. alendronic acid 113 917 837 9.177 2 297 414
9. pantoprazole 103 564 509 11.603 2 733 589
10. pravastatin 102 445 719 13.934 2 018 695
* 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 9 October 2006. © Commonwealth of Australia.