Rifaximin: 24 month predicted versus actual analysis
Page last updated: 3 March 2017
Drug utilisation sub-committee (DUSC)
September 2016
Abstract
Purpose
To examine the utilisation of rifaximin for hepatic encephalopathy in the 24 months after PBS listing.
Date of listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
Rifaximin was listed on the PBS on 1 December 2013.
Data Source / methodology
The analyses used data from the DUSC database and the Department of Human Services (DHS) supplied prescriptions database.
Key Findings
- The number of PBS/RPBS rifaximin prescriptions supplied per month has increased steadily since its listing in December 2013.
- In the period from 1 December 2013 to 31 March 2016, 2,892 people were supplied at least one PBS/RPBS prescription for rifaximin.
- The number of patients supplied rifaximin was higher than predicted in both the first and second years of listing.
- In the first year of listing, the number of rifaximin prescriptions supplied and the government expenditure were lower than predicted. In the second year of listing, prescriptions and government expenditure were close to the estimate.
- The number of prescriptions per patient per year was lower than estimated.
