Ocular lubricants: analysis of utilisation

Drug utilisation sub-committee (DUSC)

June 2014

Full report on Ocular lubricants (PDF 529KB)

To review utilisation of ocular lubricants.

Data for all ocular lubricants listed on the PBS were extracted from the DUSC database for the 10 years from 2003 to 2013.

The total number of prescriptions for ocular lubricants has been fairly steady over the last ten years from 2003, increasing gradually to a peak of 2.53 million in 2009, and then slowly decreasing to 2.46 million in 2012.
Expenditure across the whole group of ocular lubricants has been fairly stable over the last ten years, gradually rising from a low of $19.7 million in 2006. Expenditure in 2012 was $26.2 million.
Almost all prescriptions for ocular lubricants are over the patient co-payment (97%).
Concessional prescriptions compile the bulk of prescriptions for ocular lubricants, with 85% of prescriptions in 2012.
Multi-dose products account for the majority of PBS prescriptions for ocular lubricants supplied. In 2013 (until end September), 85% of prescriptions were for multi-dose products.
Prescribing of single dose unit products is gradually increasing. Single dose unit products comprised 1.3% of prescriptions supplied in 1994, 6.7% in 2003, 14% in 2012 and 15% in 2013 (to end September). This is likely to explain the small gradual increase in expenditure on ocular lubricants despite stable prescription numbers.
The most common prescribers of ocular lubricants are GPs, followed by ophthalmologists. In 2013 (to end September), approximately 72% of prescriptions supplied were prescribed by GPs and 19% by ophthalmologists. Optometrists accounted for approximately 1% of prescriptions supplied.