Top 10 drugs
Top 10 drugs 2017–18
- Aust Prescr 2018;41:194
- 3 December 2018
- DOI: 10.18773/austprescr.2018.067
ISSUE 6 DECEMBER
Tables 1–3 show the top 10 drugs for the year July 2017 – June 2018. The figures are based on PBS and RPBS prescriptions from the date of supply. The figures include prescriptions under the co-payment (non-subsidised).
None of the most frequently prescribed drugs in Australia appears in the Top 10 drugs by cost. That list is dominated by sofosbuvir and its combinations for the treatment of hepatitis C.
Table 1 - Top 10 drugs by DDD/1000 pop/day
| Drug | DDD/1000 pop/day* |
|---|---|
| 1. atorvastatin | 71.34 |
| 2. rosuvastatin | 54.02 |
| 3. perindopril | 51.55 |
| 4. amlodipine | 46.84 |
| 5. irbesartan | 33.29 |
| 6. candesartan | 33.11 |
| 7. telmisartan | 30.89 |
| 8. esomeprazole | 29.40 |
| 9. ramipril | 27.93 |
| 10. metformin | 24.89 |
Table 2 - Top 10 drugs by prescription counts
| Drug | Prescriptions |
|---|---|
| 1. rosuvastatin | 11,246,365 |
| 2. atorvastatin | 10,863,219 |
| 3. esomeprazole | 9,442,144 |
| 4. pantoprazole | 7,112,063 |
| 5. perindopril | 6,466,954 |
| 6. cefalexin | 5,458,659 |
| 7. amoxicillin | 5,253,018 |
| 8. metformin | 5,006,664 |
| 9. amoxicillin + clavulanic acid | 4,680,931 |
| 10. escitalopram | 4,187,180 |
Table 3 - Top 10 drugs by cost to government (does not include rebates)
|
Drug |
Cost to government |
DDD/1000 pop/day * |
Prescriptions |
|
1. sofosbuvir + velpatasvir |
$695,729,924 |
31,079 |
|
|
2. aflibercept |
$324,696,598 |
255,264 |
|
|
3. adalimumab |
$322,733,592 |
41.48 |
229,719 |
|
4. ledipasvir + sofosbuvir |
$244,917,648 |
10,990 |
|
|
5. ranibizumab |
$218,702,078 |
174,627 |
|
|
6. nivolumab |
$215,410,197 |
43,215 |
|
|
7. sofosbuvir |
$204,520,430 |
0.99 |
10,451 |
|
8. denosumab |
$189,073,508 |
44.26 |
673,160 |
|
9. trastuzumab |
$169,958,330 |
55,980 |
|
|
10. pembrolizumab |
$148,956,436 |
17,631 |
DDD defined daily dose
PBS Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
RPBS Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
* 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. DDD includes use in combination products. The calculation is based on ABS 3101.0 – Australian Demographic. Statistics for December 2017 (as at March 2018).
† The World Health Organization has not allocated a DDD for this drug.
Source: Department of Health, October 2018. © Commonwealth of Australia
