Drug
|
Cost to government
|
Prescriptions
|
1. aflibercept
|
$443,729,600
|
364,846
|
2. pembrolizumab
|
$431,701 ,955
|
49,694
|
3. nivolumab
|
$402, 1 1 3 ,073
|
50,593
|
4. adalimumab
|
$297,594, 1 3 8
|
274,986
|
5. denosumab
|
$263,487,070
|
963,893
|
6. apixaban
|
$248,455,067
|
3,020,507
|
7. ustekinumab
|
$246,990,067
|
35,554
|
8. ranibizumab
|
$221 ,730, 401
|
190, 316
|
9. lenalidomide
|
$221,365,364
|
40,554
|
10. ocrelizumab
|
$175,644,997
|
10,108
|
DDD definied 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 2020.
Source: Department of Health, December 2021. © Commonwealth of Australia