Medicines prescription count
Number of funded prescriptions dispensed in 2023/2024 financial year.
| Rank | Medicine | Therapeutic group | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paracetamol | Analgesics | 3,720,000 |
| 2 | Atorvastatin | Lipid-modifying agents | 1,990,000 |
| 3 | Omeprazole | Antiulcerants | 1,770,000 |
| 4 | Ibuprofen | Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory | 1,300,000 |
| 5 | Amoxicillin | Antibacterial | 1,290,000 |
| 6 | Colecalciferol | Vitamins | 1,260,000 |
| 7 | Aspirin | Antithrombotics | 1,090,000 |
| 8 | Metoprolol succinate | Beta-adrenoceptor blockers | 920,000 |
| 9 | Salbutamol | Beta-adrenoceptor agonists | 840,000 |
| 10 | Candesartan cilexetil | Agents affecting the renin-angiotensin system | 790,000 |
| 11 | Amlodipine | Calcium channel blockers | 760,000 |
| 12 | Cetirizine hydrochloride | Antihistamines | 750,000 |
| 13 | Levothyroxine | Thyroid and antithyroid agents | 740,000 |
| 14 | Prednisone | Corticosteroids | 710,000 |
| 15 | Zopiclone | Sedatives and hypnotics | 670,000 |
| 16 | Docusate sodium with sennosides | Laxatives | 660,000 |
| 17 | Celecoxib | Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs | 650,000 |
| 18 | Loratadine | Antihistamines | 620,000 |
| 19 | Codeine phosphate | Analgesics | 610,000 |
| 20 | Metformin hydrochloride | Diabetes | 580,000 |
| Total | 21,750,000 |
- Medicines purchased by hospitals (worth $145 million in 2023/24), some hepatitis C medicines, risdiplam, most vaccines, COVID-19 treatments and vaccines, condoms, NRT, and naloxone purchased by Pharmac are not included as Pharmac does not hold prescription data.
- The total prescription count for 2023/24 was 58.5 million and the top 20 medicines account for 37% of the total.