Press Release: Cardiovascular Drugs, Four Other Therapeutic Classes of Drugs Dominate the Market

Cardiovascular Drugs, Four Other Therapeutic Classes of Drugs Dominate the Market

ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 24, 2007 -- In 2004, American adults spent $32 billion on cardiovascular drugs, putting them at the top of the five costliest classes of drugs prescribed by doctors for people age 18 and over, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The five costliest classes of drugs combined accounted for two thirds – $119 billion – of the $181 billion total expenditures spent on outpatient prescription medications by adults in the United States in 2004.

Hormones were the second-costliest drug class ($25 billion), followed by central nervous system drugs ($24 billion), which can be used to treat pain and control seizures; cholesterol-lowering medications ($22 billion); and anti-depressants and other psychotherapeutic drugs ($18 billion).
Among adults who had a prescription drug purchase in 2004, the highest percentage purchased at least one central nervous system drug (44 percent), followed by cardiovascular medications (38 percent), hormones (37 percent), anti-cholesterol drugs (22 percent), and antidepressants (20 percent).
AHRQ also looked at spending for the top five therapeutic classes of drugs prescribed for Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older in 2004.

The top five classes were cardiovascular drugs ($17 billion), cholesterol-lowering drugs ($10 billion), hormones ($8 billion), central nervous system drugs ($7 billion), and gastrointestinal drugs ($6 billion). Spending totaled nearly $48 billion.
Expenditures for these drugs accounted for roughly three-quarters of the $65 billion spent on all prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older in 2004.
AHRQ, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, works to improve the quality, safety, efficiency and effectiveness of health care in the United States. The data in this AHRQ News and Numbers comes from the Agency’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a highly detailed source of information on the health services that Americans use, how frequently they use them, the cost of these services, and how they are paid.

For more information on this AHRQ News and Numbers please see the attachment.

For more information or to speak with an AHRQ data expert, contact Bob.Isquith@ahrq.hhs.gov or call (301) 427-1539.