Emerging drugs challenge
August 2, 2016
FUNDING new and expensive
medications is an “emerging
challenge” for Australia,
according to the latest issue of
NPS MedicineWise’s Australian
Prescriber, which is now a fully
digital publication (PD 06 Jun).
An article lists the top ten
drugs used in Australia by daily
dose, prescription counts and
cost to government, with the
highest impact on the PBS being
adalimumab, which cost taxpayers
more than $300m in 2014-15 for
just over 176,000 scripts.
For the first time in 20 years
statins have not topped the list of
most costly drugs to government
- however while atorvastatin has
dropped out of the top ten by cost,
it still topped the lists for daily dose
and prescription counts.
Rosuvastatin was the second most
expensive drug overall, costing the
government $206 million for more
than 7 million scripts.
Other costly items included new
entrants macular degeneration
drugs aflibercept at $193 million
and ranibizumab at almost $180m.
Fluticasone and salmeterol came
in fifth place at $175 million for just
over 3 million scripts, just ahead of
esomeprazole for 7.1m scripts.
Others in the top ten by cost
included etanercept ($164
million/93,000 scripts), rituximab
($156 million/46,700 scripts),
insulin glargine ($142m/347,000)
and fingolimod ($134m/58,800).
For details see nps.org.au.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 02 Aug 16To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 02 Aug 16
