The most commonly prescribed drug in Australia is typically a statin, with Rosuvastatin often ranking first by usage volume (DDD/1000 pop/day) in recent years, closely followed by Atorvastatin, both used to lower cholesterol, reflecting the prevalence of heart disease. Other top prescriptions include blood pressure medications like Amlodipine and Perindopril, along with common drugs for stomach acid (like Pantoprazole) and mental health (like Sertraline).
Including drugs which have been affected by the availability of 60-day prescriptions, the top 10 drugs by prescription counts were:
Drugs used in Australia
You can also download the commonly abused drugs chart.
By far, alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in the United States.
In 2024, the global pharmaceutical market witnessed unprecedented growth, with the top-selling drugs collectively generating over $116 billion in revenue. Leading this surge was Merck's immuno-oncology therapy, Keytruda, which maintained its position as the world's best-selling drug with nearly $29.5 billion in sales.
Our study shows that antibiotics top the list of drugs most overprescribed in the U.S. In 2022, U.S. healthcare providers issued 236. 4 million antibiotic prescriptions. This works out at 7 prescriptions per 10 people in an outpatient (non-hospital) medical setting.
Among U.S. adults aged 60–79, the most commonly used types of prescription drugs were lipid-lowering drugs (45.0%), antidiabetic agents (23.6%), beta blockers (for high blood pressure or heart disease, 22.3%), ACE inhibitors (21.3%), and proton pump inhibitors (16.9%).
Of the 1,635 drug-induced deaths in Australia in 2023, 340 or 21% were due to heroin (Table NMD2). People who use heroin have a particularly high risk of overdose, especially when heroin is used in conjunction with other drugs like benzodiazepines (for example, alprazolam, diazepam) and alcohol.
Russia and Australia have the highest prevalence of alcohol dependence overall, with 2.61 per cent and 2.58 per cent, respectively. According to the WHO, US has the lowest rate of alcohol dependence with only 1.92 per cent.
Popular drug searches
The drug most often used illegally in Australia is cannabis. Cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine are other drugs commonly used illegally.
Commonly abused classes of prescription drugs include:
A cornerstone of Aboriginal traditional medicine is the use of native plants and natural resources, often referred to as bush medicine. Over thousands of years, Aboriginal peoples developed a deep understanding of the medicinal properties of Australia's unique flora.
Common examples include alcohol, cocaine, heroin and opioids. Substances target the reward center of your brain and can lead to substance use disorder and life-threatening outcomes if misused. Treatment is available if you need help with substance use or misuse.
Aspirin, The 5000 Year-Old Wonder Drug. Aspirin has many uses, from fever and pain relief to prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Both, Humira and Lipitor, are still the leading drugs by lifetime sales worldwide. However, the leading drug in 2023 was Merck's cancer treatment Keytruda, with 25 billion U.S. dollars in global sales.
Opioids are the deadliest category of drugs; at least one type of opioid is a factor in 76% of OD deaths. Opioids kill nearly three (3) times as many people as cocaine. Between 2020 and 2023, drug overdose rates increased by 10.6%.
Key Takeaways. Cannabis is the world's most widely used drug, with 244 million users in 2023.
All of the drugs on this list had a immense impact on the evolution of medicine and the evolution of mankind.
A blockbuster drug is an extremely popular drug that generates annual sales of at least $1 billion for the company that sells it.