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ISSUE 6 DECEMBER
Top 10 drugs

Top 10 drugs 2020–21

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Tables 1–3 show the top 10 drugs for the year July 2020 – June 2021. The figures are based on PBS and RPBS prescriptions from the date of supply. The figures include prescriptions under the co-payment (non-subsidised).

 

Table 1 - Top 10 PBS/RPBS drugs by DDD/1000 pop/day

Drug

DDD/1000 pop/day*

1. atorvastatin

76.22

2. rosuvastatin

66.54

3. perindopril

54.35

4. amlodipine

53.35

5. candesartan

34.56

6. telmisartan

34.55

7. irbesartan

29.36

8. sertraline

27.42

9. metformin

26.59

10. ramipril

26.52
 

Table 2 - Top 10 PBS/RPBS drugs by prescription counts

Drug

Prescriptions

1. rosuvastatin

14,1 85 , 361

2. atorvastatin

11,673,109

3. pantoprazole

9,299,295

4. esomeprazole

8,396, 6 1 1

5. perindopril

6,890,787

6. escitalopram

5,470,158

7. metformin

5,406,768

8. sertraline

5,106,720

9. cefalexin

4, 6 17,588

10. amlodipine

4,475, 471
 

Table 3 - Top 10 PBS/RPBS drugs by cost to government (does not include rebates)

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

 

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