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Presentation Description
Institution: Sunshine Coast University Hospital - Queensland, Australia
Purpose
Low-dose rivaroxaban in combination with aspirin has been shown in RCTs to reduce cardiovascular events in stable cardiovascular disease and prevent limb events in peripheral artery disease after revascularisation. Rivaroxaban 2.5mg was first listed on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme (PBS) in Australia on 1 December 2020. This study reviews the uptake of low-dose rivaroxaban in Australia and compares this with prescribing habits in England.
Methodology
Annual PBS prescriptions of low-dose rivaroxaban were extracted from publicly available Australian PBS Item Reports since 1 December 2020. Australian Bureau of Statistics population data was used to calculate prescriptions per 1000 persons. Annual prescriptions by General Practitioners in England were extracted using publicly available National Health Service (NHS) data and prescriptions per 1000 persons calculated.
Results
Total PBS prescriptions of low-dose rivaroxaban in Australia increased from 7,683 in 2021 to 20,079 in 2023. Prescriptions per person were highest in New South Wales, followed by Queensland then Western Australia. Since 2021, almost twice as many prescriptions of low-dose rivaroxaban have been filled per person in England compared with Australia (3.1 vs 1.7 per 1000 persons), including in 2023 (1.2 vs 0.8 per 1000 persons).
Conclusion
There is robust evidence supporting the use of low-dose rivaroxaban, however uptake in Australia appears lower compared with England, despite similar population demographics. Although prescription rates are increasing, ongoing work is required to ensure clinician education, cost, and PBS eligibility are not barriers to provision of best medical therapy in patients with cardiovascular disease.
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Authors
Authors
Dr Angus Pegler - , Dr Amanda Shepherd -