Top 10 drugs
Top 10 Drugs
- Aust Prescr 2005;28:140
- 1 April 2005
- DOI: 10.18773/austprescr.2005.029
ISSUE 2 APRIL
These tables show the top 10 subsidised drugs in 2003-04. The tables do not include private prescriptions.
Table 1 - Top 10 drugs supplied by DDD/1000 pop/day*
|
Drug |
PBS/RPBS† |
1. |
atorvastatin |
80.697 |
2. |
simvastatin |
51.468 |
3. |
diltiazem hydrochloride |
35.470 |
4. |
ramipril |
31.725 |
5. |
omeprazole |
21.631 |
6. |
irbesartan with hydrochlorothiazide |
20.889 |
7. |
irbesartan |
19.931 |
8. |
salbutamol |
19.919 |
9. |
frusemide |
19.403 |
10. |
sertraline |
17.108 |
Table 2 - Top 10 drugs by prescription counts
|
Drug |
PBS/RPBS† |
1. |
atorvastatin |
7,097,744 |
2. |
simvastatin |
6,008,468 |
3. |
paracetamol |
4,714,533 |
4. |
omeprazole |
4,537,098 |
5. |
irbesartan |
3,371,882 |
6. |
celecoxib |
3,240,047 |
7. |
salbutamol |
3,220,045 |
8. |
atenolol |
3,136,071 |
9. |
rofecoxib |
3,028,529 |
10. |
ramipril |
2,871,065 |
Table 3 - Top 10 drugs by cost to Government
|
Drug |
Cost to Government |
DDD/1000/day |
Prescriptions PBS/RPBS† |
1. |
atorvastatin |
397,430,210 |
80.697 |
7,097,744 |
2. |
simvastatin |
363,667,949 |
51.468 |
6,008,468 |
3. |
omeprazole |
197,471,882 |
21.631 |
4,537,098 |
4. |
salmeterol and fluticasone |
163,196,875‡ |
2,666,465 |
|
5. |
olanzapine |
150,962,947 |
2.941 |
717,460 |
6. |
clopidogrel |
128,213,796 |
6.446 |
1,617,367 |
7. |
pravastatin |
125,298,133 |
14.150 |
2,131,080 |
8. |
esomeprazole |
111,540,717 |
9.694 |
2,265,197 |
9. |
alendronic acid |
99,266,727 |
7.942 |
1,921,121 |
10. |
rofecoxib |
95,196,777 |
10.912 |
3,028,529 |
* 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.
† 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 © Commonwealth of Australia
