U.S. Prescription Drug Sales Grow Slowly; Hydrocodone Most Prescribed

Annual US prescription sales hit $291 billion in 2008, but experienced slower-than usual growth of 1.3% because of slowing demand and the struggling economy, according to IMS Health, which also reported that dispensed prescription volume in the US grew at a 0.9% pace.

IMS Health reports that the lower growth rate was influenced by a number of factors:

• Higher demand for less-expensive generic drugs
• Lower new product sales
• Reduced overall consumer demand because of the economic downturn

Top Therapeutic Classes by US Sales

Across the major therapy classes, antispsychotics accounted for the largest sales dollar volume, reaching $291.5 billion in 2008, up from $287.6 billion in 2007. Lipid regulators had the second highest sales volume, followed by proton pump inhibitors - which decreased in sales volume over 2007 - and seizure disorder inhibitors.

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Top Therapeutic Classes by Dispensed Prescriptions

Across the major therapy classes, lipid regulators were the most widely dispensed retail prescription medications on a volume basis in 2008, followed closely by codeine and combinations, anti-depressants, ACE inhibitors and beta blockers.

Top Pharmaceutical Products by Dispensed Prescriptions

Pain Reliever Hydrocodone with Acetaminophen (APAP) was the most widely prescribed individual medication, accounting for 3,843.1 million prescriptions in 2008. The second- and third-most-prescribed medications were ACE inhibitor Lisinopril and Simvastatin (brand name Zocor) for high cholesterol.

Top Pharmaceutical Products by Sales

Cholesterol-lowering medication Lipitor had the highest dollar volume of sales in the US ($291.5 billion), followed by Nexium, Plavix, and Advair Diskus.

Comments

[Lars39:]

We have a pain in our Psyche.

Mar 26 09:54 AM

[Investigator:]

People need to smarten up and do everything in their power to stay healthy before big pharma distroy us all.

Mar 26 12:06 PM

[User 383614:]

It`s crazy that the psyco meds are at the top list! Big business don't you?

Mar 26 01:36 PM

[User 383636:]

you're truly an idiot. tell that to all the patients (and their loved ones) who are getting successfully treated for everything from infections to cancer to COPD. yes, big pharma is really out to get you.

Mar 26 02:09 PM

[a reader:]

Someone should tell the author how to read the charts. S/he mistakenly attributes the total number of prescritions for the category to the top drug rather than the atcual number of prescriptions.

Mar 26 05:17 PM

[iownpharmas...:]

Guys,

What is this all about? The issue is not big pharma or generics or what drugs are most "popular", due to political or social reasons. It's that certain conditions are more common than others, so of course drugs for those conditions would be prescribed more commonly.

Btw, the effectiveness of the "psycho meds" (as one intelligent, highly educated and well informed person on this board calls them), has been proved over and over in numerous studies.

Try to get it right next time. And maybe some post-high school education would benefit you!!!!!!!

Mar 27 09:28 AM

[Maney:]

You are right on!


On Mar 27 09:28 AM iownpharmastock wrote:

> Guys,
>
> What is this all about? The issue is not big pharma or generics or
> what drugs are most "popular", due to political or social reasons.
> It's that certain conditions are more common than others, so of course
> drugs for those conditions would be prescribed more commonly.
>
> Btw, the effectiveness of the "psycho meds" (as one intelligent,
> highly educated and well informed person on this board calls them),
> has been proved over and over in numerous studies.
>
> Try to get it right next time. And maybe some post-high school education
> would benefit you!!!!!!!

Mar 27 10:37 AM

[raytayzmd:]

....$291.5 billion for anti-psychotics??...da... say we bring back lobotomies!...every bit as effective...and almost as simple -- just need a kitchen table, an ice pick, and a hammmer!

Mar 27 03:48 PM

[manncer:]

The issue IS big Pharma. They are creating medicines that are not needed. They produce a medication on patent, charge hundreds of dollars for something that cost fifty cents, then when the patent runs out and you can buy meds for 10 dollars, they create a prodrug and charge you hundreds of dollars for a new patented medication that does the same thing.
They also detail doctors incessantly and sample them so the doctor hands out samples and gives the patient an Rx for the more expensive medication. The drug companies also advertise directly to the patient, and the patient sees the doctor and wants the newest med for their condition, no matter how much it costs. Doctors are really not tuned into what it's like to be an average citizen. People make a basic wage and have to blow it on a prescription that will save their lives. Big Pharma is geared to one thing-profit, and they'll do anything to make obscene amounts of cash. Yes they spend 2 million to create a medication, then over a short period rake in billions.
Of course the drug companies target the most common diseases or conditions; that's where the money is. Why bother to invest in a medication for a disease that only 100,000 people have. They overproduce medications that all do the same thing, like, say gastric reflux, or acid stomach, there's a glut of Proton Pump Inhibitors, newer and newer and very expensive. Most people could benefit from an OTC Pepcid. The medical situation in this country is out of control and the prescription drug market is just a symptom. If you're so naive that you don't think money is at the root of so much separation of class society, grow up.


On Mar 27 09:28 AM iownpharmastock wrote:

> Guys,
>
> What is this all about? The issue is not big pharma or generics
> or what drugs are most "popular", due to political or social reasons.
> It's that certain conditions are more common than others, so of course
> drugs for those conditions would be prescribed more commonly.
>
> Btw, the effectiveness of the "psycho meds" (as one intelligent,
> highly educated and well informed person on this board calls them),
> has been proved over and over in numerous studies.
>
> Try to get it right next time. And maybe some post-high school education
> would benefit you!!!!!!!

May 02 03:23 AM

[The Pharm Tech:]

The marketing of drugs is a large part of the problem. Sucker americans buying the NEWEST HOTTEST DRUG despite cheaper, just as effective or better alternatives is also to blame.

Forget Nexium. Take Tums. Or better yet, stop shoving chili dogs and pepsi in your face. The miracle drugs-insulin, antibiotics, heart meds-already exist. Clarinex--same thing as claritin, just pricier!

The real miracle will be getting people to live preventative healthy lifestyles so they don't need the drugs in the first place, and to not buy big pharma's bs.

Yes the drugs may cost pennies per dose, but remember these massive companies get away with this because for every drug that comes out they've had fleets of PhD's working around the clock for a decade to get it there. You aren't paying for raw materials. You are paying for research and development costs.

I need to get out of this industry, it is all frustrating. Patients, suppliers, prescribers, insurance...I hate being in the middle of you all.

Jun 02 03:58 PM

[gwc99:]

You are the idiot. There are natural remidies for everything. So tell that to your loved ones who are dying quicker because of pharmaceuticals. If there are more idiots like you then I am in the wrong business because I could be getting rich off of your dumb ass.

On Mar 26 02:09 PM User 383636 wrote:

> you're truly an idiot. tell that to all the patients (and their loved
> ones) who are getting successfully treated for everything from infections
> to cancer to COPD. yes, big pharma is really out to get you.

Sep 12 06:06 PM