Table. Minimising the costs of asthma therapy .
| Drug | Formulation (micrograms per actuation) | Maximum price to patient per script | Total actuations per script | Regimen to achieve low total inhaled corticosteroid dose* (actuations) | Number of months supply from one script | Maximum cost to patient per month (30 days) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-dose inhaled corticosteroid-only treatment | ||||||||
| General | Concession | General | Concession | |||||
| Budesonide (dry powder inhaler) | 400 | $39.50 | $6.40 | 200 | 1 once daily | 6.7 | $5.93 | $0.96 |
| Ciclesonide (pressurised metered-dose inhaler) | 160 | $39.50 | $6.40 | 120 | 1 once daily | 4.0 | $9.88 | $1.60 |
| Beclometasone (pressurised metered-dose inhaler) | 100 | $39.09 | $6.40 | 200 | 2 once daily (or 1 twice daily) | 3.3 | $11.73 | $1.94 |
| Fluticasone (dry powder inhaler) | 100 | $24.16 | $6.40 | 60 | 1 twice daily | 1.0 | $24.16 | $6.40 |
| Drug | Formulation (micrograms per actuation) | Maximum price to patient per script | Total actuations per script | Regimen to achieve low total inhaled corticosteroid dose* (actuations) | Number of months supply from one script | Maximum cost to patient per month (30 days) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-dose inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting beta2 agonist combination treatment | ||||||||
| General | Concession | General | Concession | |||||
| Budesonide/formoterol (eformoterol) (dry powder inhaler) | 100/6 | $39.50 | $6.40 | 120 | 2 twice daily | 1 | $39.50 | $6.40 |
| Budesonide/formoterol (eformoterol) (dry powder inhaler) | 200/6 | $39.50 | $6.40 | 120 | 2 once daily (or 1 twice daily) | 2 | $19.75 | $3.20 |
| Fluticasone propionate/formoterol (eformoterol) (pressurised metered-dose inhaler) | 50/5 | $39.50 | $6.40 | 120 | 2 twice daily | 1 | $39.50 | $6.40 |
| Fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (dry powder inhaler) | 100/50 | $39.50 | $6.40 | 60 | 1 twice daily | 1 | $39.50 | $6.40 |
| Drug | Formulation (micrograms per actuation) | Maximum price to patient per script | Total actuations per script | Regimen to achieve low total inhaled corticosteroid dose* (actuations) | Number of months supply from one script | Maximum cost to patient per month (30 days) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-dose inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting beta2 agonist treatment in separate inhalers † | ||||||||
| General | Concession | General | Concession | |||||
| Ciclesonide (pressurised metered-dose inhaler) | 160 | $39.50 | $6.40 | 120 | 1 once daily | 4.0 | - | - |
| • with formoterol (eformoterol) (dry powder inhaler) OR | 6 | $33.24 | $6.40 | 60 | 1 twice daily | 1.0 | Total $43.12 | Total $8.00 |
| • with salmeterol (dry powder inhaler) | 50 | $39.50 | $6.40 | 60 | 1 twice daily | 1.0 | Total $49.38 | Total $8.00 |
| Beclometasone (pressurised metered-dose inhaler) | 100 | $39.09 | $6.40 | 200 | 2 once daily (or 1 twice daily) | 3.3 | - | - |
| • with formoterol (eformoterol) (dry powder inhaler) OR | 6 | $33.24 | $6.40 | 60 | 1 twice daily | 1.0 | Total $44.97 | Total $8.34 |
| • with salmeterol (dry powder inhaler) | 50 | $39.50 | $6.40 | 60 | 1 twice daily | 1.0 | Total $51.23 | Total $8.34 |
* The low total daily inhaled corticosteroid dose is based on the Australian Asthma Handbook table of inhaled corticosteroid doses for adults – www.asthmahandbook.org.au/table/show/22. For each drug, this column shows how to prescribe a low-dose inhaled corticosteroid regimen with the lowest patient copayment. These regimens are based on the recommended number of actuations and dosing frequency in the approved product information. The calculations were based on 2018 costs and copayments, available from www.pbs.gov.au.
† Separate inhalers should only be prescribed if a suitable combination inhaler is not available, and the clinician is certain that the patient will continue to take the inhaled corticosteroid regularly, and the patient can use the two different inhaler devices correctly.