For the first time in 20 years, statins have not topped the list of most costly drugs to government.
Australian Prescriber’s latest issue lists the top 10 drugs used in Australia, by daily dose, prescription counts and cost to government.
It found that the most costly drug in Australia is the immune system modifying drug adalimumab, which cost taxpayers more than $300 million in 2014-5.
Statins were still around, however, with rosuvastatin coming in second to adalimumab in terms of cost.
Atorvastatin is the top drug by both daily dose and prescription counts, with rosuvastatin coming in second for daily dose and third by prescription count.
However atorvastatin dropped out of the top 10 by cost to government.
Two injectable drugs to treat age-related macular degeneration appeared for the first time in the list of most costly drugs. Aflibercept cost nearly $193 million, while ranibizumab cost nearly $180 million.
Proton pump inhibitors (for reducing stomach acid production), ACE inhibitors (for high blood pressure and heart failure), and medicines for diabetes and blood pressure also appeared on the lists.
Top 10 by DDD/1000 pop/day:
1000 pop/day | |
1. atorvastatin | 54.65 |
2. rosuvastatin | 39.47 |
3. paracetamol | 34.14 |
4. perindopril | 33.80 |
5. amlodipine | 30.08 |
6. irbesartan | 27.33 |
7. esomeprazole | 25.27 |
8. candesartan | 23.41 |
9. ramipril | 21.62 |
10. telmisartan | 18.84 |
Top 10 drugs by prescription count
1. atorvastatin | 7 787 189 |
2. esomeprazole | 7 170 908 |
3. rosuvastatin | 7 070 240 |
4. paracetamol | 6 446 680 |
5. pantoprazole | 4 489 551 |
6. perindopril | 4 015 432 |
7. metformin | 3 589 937 |
8. fluticasone and salmeterol | 3 1 4 7 1 1 5 |
9. irbesartan | 2 992 442 |
10. salbutamol | 2 976 106 |
Top 10 drugs by cost to government
1. adalimumab | 31 1 616 305 |
2. rosuvastatin | 206 589 091 |
3. aflibercept | 192 839 767 |
4. ranibizumab | 179 612 4 1 7 |
5. fluticasone and salmeterol | 175 215 964 |
6. esomeprazole | 174 179 985 |
7. etanercept | 164 075 1 3 3 |
8. rituximab | 156 563 805 |
9. insulin glargine | 142 760 966 |
10. fingolimod | 134 752 870 |
