America’s Most Popular Drugs by Dollars Spent
Visual Capitalist
Nov 4, 2024
Tired of hearing about yet another celebrity’s Ozempic-inspired weight loss journey? Well, all those testimonials are adding up: driving expenditure towards one particular category of medication in America, and helping the revenues of several major pharmaceutical companies.
This graphic lists America’s top drugs by money spent on them at hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies in 2023. Data is sourced from the AARP.
Initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes, semaglutide is now the key active ingredient in weight loss drugs for those who can afford it. It’s estimated that the medication can cost upwards of $1,000 a month without insurance.
Meanwhile, three other medications on this list (dulaglutide, empagliflozin, and tirzepatide) are also prescribed for type 2 diabetes. The last one, tirzepatide, (Mounjaro, Zepbound) is also known for weight loss benefits.
Other drugs that attract significant dollars include adalimumab and ustekinumab (found in Humira and Stelara), are used to treat arthritis and Crohn’s disease.
Altogether, Americans spent nearly $200 billion on the top 10 most popular drugs, which is about 29% of the $722 billion spent in total on medicines in 2023.
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