STATISTICAL BRIEF #468: Expenditures for the Top Five Therapeutic Classes of Outpatient Prescription Drugs, Adults Age 18 and Older, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2012

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STATISTICAL BRIEF #468: Expenditures for the Top Five Therapeutic Classes of Outpatient Prescription Drugs, Adults Age 18 and Older, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2012

AHRQ Stats: Outpatient Drug Expenses

Prescription drug expenses for adults totaled $267 billion nationwide in 2012. Of the leading classes of outpatient prescription drugs based on total expenses that year, metabolic drugs (used for conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes and weight control) were purchased by nearly one in four adults age 18 and older at an average of $104 per prescription. Meanwhile, cardiovascular drugs (used for conditions such as heart disease, blood clots and other circulatory disorders) were purchased by seven in 10 Medicare patients age 65 and older at an average of $28 per prescription. (Source: AHRQ Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #468, Expenditures for the Top Five Therapeutic Classes of Outpatient Prescription Drugs, Adults Age 18 and Older, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2012and Statistical Brief #469, Expenditures for the Top Five Therapeutic Classes of Outpatient Prescription Drugs, Medicare Beneficiaries, Age 65 and Older, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2012.)

STATISTICAL BRIEF #468: Expenditures for the Top Five Therapeutic Classes of Outpatient Prescription Drugs, Adults Age 18 and Older, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2012

February 2015

Marc Roemer, MS

Highlights

• In 2012, the top five therapeutic classes of prescription drugs ranked by total expense among adults were metabolic agents, central nervous system agents, cardiovascular agents, psychotherapeutic agents, and respiratory agents.
• Expenditures for the top five therapeutic classes totaled $155.8 billion and accounted for about 58 percent of total expenditures on prescription drugs purchased for the adult population in 2012.
• Expenses for metabolic agents accounted for a little less than one-fifth of total prescription drug expenses for adults in 2012.
• More than three in ten adults purchased a central nervous system agent in 2012.
• In 2012, among the top five therapeutic classes of drugs, the highest average expense per prescription was for respiratory agents.