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ISSUE 6 DECEMBER
Top 10 drugs

Top 10 drugs 2024–25

Tables 1 to 3 show the top 10 drugs for the year 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025. The figures are based on PBS and RPBS prescriptions from the date of supply.

Table 1 Top 10 PBS and RPBS drugs by DDD/1000 population/day

Drug DDD/1000 population/day

1. rosuvastatin

90.95

2. atorvastatin

80.58

3. perindopril

49.44

4. amlodipine

46.94

5. candesartan

33.15

6. sertraline

31.85

7. telmisartan

30.51

8. escitalopram

29.45

9. metformin

28.11

10. ramipril

24.1

Table 2 Top 10 PBS and RPBS drugs by prescription counts

Drug Prescriptions

1. rosuvastatin

16,313,366

2. atorvastatin

11,319,805

3. pantoprazole

11,030,917

4. esomeprazole

7,974,275

5. escitalopram

6,557,355

6. perindopril

6,375,761

7. sertraline

6,245,846

8. metformin

6,147,265

9. cefalexin

5,163,370

10. amoxicillin

4,965,405

Table 3 Top 10 PBS and RPBS drugs by cost to government (does not include rebates)

Drug Cost to government Prescriptions

1. pembrolizumab

$684,838,086

80,712

2. elexacaftor+tezacaftor+ivacaftor with ivacaftor

$618,324,241

29,293

3. ustekinumab

$520,156,660

74,000

4. dupilumab

$485,257,657

282,908

5. aflibercept

$476,335,237

485,167

6. nivolumab

$420,254,122

58,516

7. semaglutide

$341,468,502

2,863,016

8. denosumab

$313,335,758

1,244,642

9. upadacitinib

$287,099,750

197,436

10. apixaban

$282,688,618

4,349,481
DDD = defined daily dose PBS = Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme RPBS = Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme The cost figures are cost to government, excluding rebates and any patient contributions. The prescription and DDD/1000 population/day figures include under co-payment (non-subsidised) prescriptions. DDD/1000 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 2024. The tables do not include items dispensed under the Opioid Dependence Treatment (ODT) Community Pharmacy Program (buprenorphine, buprenorphine with naloxone, and methadone) due to differences in how these drugs are listed on the PBS compared to other drugs. Prescription counts for some drugs may have been affected by the availability of 60-day PBS prescriptions. The dates on which 60-day prescriptions became available were 1 September 2023 for atorvastatin, perindopril and rosuvastatin, 1 March 2024 for metformin, and 1 September 2024 for escitalopram, esomeprazole, pantoprazole and sertraline. Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, October 2025. © Commonwealth of Australia
 

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