About the data - Proton pump inhibitor medicines dispensing, 75 years and over
Data are sourced from the PBS dataset, which includes all prescriptions dispensed under the PBS and the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS), including under co-payment prescriptions.
Data used in this report exclude doctors’ bag items and any programs with alternative supply arrangements (section 100 of the National Health Act 1953) where patient level details are not available, such as direct supply to remote Aboriginal health services.
The PBS and RPBS do not cover medicines supplied to public hospital inpatients, over-the-counter medicines or private prescriptions.
The dataset does not allow analysis by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status.
Rates are based on the number of prescriptions dispensed for PPI medicines per 100,000 people aged 75 years and over in 2018–19, unless otherwise indicated. For defined daily dose (DDD), the rate is calculated per 1,000 people per day. Patient counts reflect the number or unique patients, regardless of the number of prescriptions the patient may have received in the year.
The data do not include PPI medicines in fixed-dose combinations with antibiotics.
The analysis and maps are based on the patient’s postcode recorded in their Medicare file and not the location of the prescriber or the dispensing pharmacy.
Rates are age and sex standardised to allow comparisons between populations with different age and sex structures.
Some data have been suppressed to manage volatility and confidentiality. This process takes into account the Australian Government Department of Health’s requirements for reporting PBS data (see the Technical Supplement). Data suppression for this item (indicated on the maps in grey) has been particularly marked for remote areas of the Northern Territory.
About the Atlas and how to interpret the data visualisations
This document outlines how to interpret the data correctly and explains the limitations of the data prior to using the Atlas: