Tables 1, 2 and 3 show the top 10 drugs for the year July 2019 – June 2020. 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 population/day.
| Drug | DDD/1000 pop/day* |
|---|---|
| 1. atorvastatin | 72.93 |
| 2. rosuvastatin | 61.03 |
| 3. perindopril | 52.34 |
| 4. amlodipine | 50.15 |
| 5. candesartan | 33.52 |
| 6. telmisartan | 32.19 |
| 7. irbesartan | 29.87 |
| 8. ramipril | 26.44 |
| 9. sertraline | 25.67 |
| 10. metformin | 25.51 |
Table 2. Top 10 PBS/RPBS drugs by prescription counts.
| Drug | Prescriptions |
|---|---|
| 1. rosuvastatin | 12,968,693 |
| 2. atorvastatin | 11,241,737 |
| 3. pantoprazole | 8,283,205 |
| 4. esomeprazole | 8,171,291 |
| 5. perindopril | 6,688,735 |
| 6. cefalexin | 5,347,062 |
| 7. metformin | 5,183,224 |
| 8. escitalopram | 4,983,887 |
| 9. amoxicillin | 4,777,911 |
| 10. sertraline | 4,714,321 |
Table 3. Top 10 PBS/RPBS drugs by cost to government (does not include rebates).
| Drug | Cost to government | DDD/1000 pop/day* | Prescriptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. aflibercept | $392,045,570 | ‡ | 315,200 |
| 2. nivolumab | $344,751,398 | ‡ | 51,882 |
| 3. pembrolizumab | $342,875,272 | ‡ | 38,860 |
| 4. adalimumab | $320,969,041 | 0.76 | 257,328 |
| 5. denosumab | $244,407,111 | 18.44 | 884,413 |
| 6. sofosbuvir + velpatasvir† | $223,484,429 | ‡ | 17,733 |
| 7. ranibizumab | $218,085,96 | ‡ | 190,126 |
| 8. ustekinumab | $211,250,971 | 0.49 | 29,603 |
| 9. apixaban | $210,022,698 | 6.81 | 2,580,428 |
| 10. glecaprevir + pibrentasvir† | $186,730,613 | ‡ | 9,956 |
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 2019.
† DDDs for combination products are accounted for in constituent drugs
‡ The World Health Organization has not allocated a DDD for this drug
Source: Department of Health, December 2020. ©Commonwealth of Australia