Top 10 drugs 2020–21

Table 1, Table 2 and Table 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. setraline	27.42
9. metformin	26.59
10. ramipril	26.52

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

Drug	Prescriptions
1. rosuvastatin	14,185,361
2. atorvastatin	11,673,109
3. pantoprazole	9,299,295
4. esomeprazole	8,396,611
5. perindopril	6,890,787
6. escitalopram	5,470,158
7. metformin	5,406,768
8. sertraline	5,106,720
9. cefalexin	4,617,588
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	$402,113,073	50,593
4. adalimumab	$297,594,138	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 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 2020.

Source: Department of Health, December 2021. © Commonwealth of Australia