How many Australians are hospitalised each year due to pharmaceutical drug use?

There were 9,978 hospital separations due to pharmaceutical drug use in 2020-21.

Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). National Hospital Morbidity Database, 2020-21 (NCETA secondary analysis, 2022).

Please note: This FAQ uses data from the National Hospital Morbidity Database, which includes the following causes of hospitalisation considered to be related to the use of pharmaceutical drugs: Poisoning by salicylates; Poisoning by other nonopioid analgesics and antipyretics, not elsewhere classified; Poisoning by nonopioid analgesic, antipyretic and antirheumatic, unspecified; Poisoning by other opioids; Poisoning by methadone; Poisoning by other synthetic narcotics; Poisoning by benzodiazepines; Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of sedatives or hypnotics; Opioids and related analgesics causing adverse effects in therapeutic use; Salicylates causing adverse effects in therapeutic use; and Benzodiazepines causing adverse effects in therapeutic use. However, in 2020-21 data were not available for: Poisoning by nonopioid analgesic, antipyretic and antirheumatic, unspecified; Opioids and related analgesics causing adverse effects in therapeutic use; Salicylates causing adverse effects in therapeutic use; and Benzodiazepines causing adverse effects in therapeutic use.

The National Hospital Morbidity Database cannot distinguish between hospital separations due to non-medical use of pharmaceuticals and hospital separations due to the use of pharmaceuticals as directed by a doctor.

Hospital Separation: An episode of care for an admitted patient, which can be:

  • a total hospital stay (from admission to discharge, transfer or death); or
  • a portion of a hospital stay beginning or ending in a change of type of care (for example, from acute to rehabilitation).

Separation also means the process by which an admitted patient completes an episode of care either by being discharged, transferring to another hospital, changing type of care, or dying.