The 10 Most Frequently Prescribed Drugs in America
Prescriptions in 2015: 66 million*
Treats: High cholesterol, heart attack prevention
A statin drug, Simvastatin slows the production of cholesterol in the body and prevents it from building up on the walls of the arteries.
* Data from IMS Health.
© Jeff Zelevansky / Reuters
Prescriptions in 2015: 70 million
Treats: Asthma
This fast-acting inhaled prescription can stop asthma attacks immediately and is often prescribed to children who suffer from them. The Allergy & Asthma Network is pushing to require schools to keep the inhalers on hand, much like EpiPens.
Teva Respiratory- ProAir
Prescriptions in 2015: 77 million
Treats: heartburn, GERD
Some forms of Omeprazole are available over the counter, and the generic versions of the drug helped drive generic growth last year. It lowers the level of acid in the stomach.
Procter & Gamble - Prilosec OTC
Prescriptions in 2015: 80 million
Treats: Type 2 Diabetes
Although it was discovered in the 1950s, metformin wasn’t introduced in the United States until the 1990s. It decreases the amount of glucose that the liver releases into the blood stream.
Merck - Glucophage
Prescriptions in 2015: 82 million
Treats: high blood pressure, heart pain
Amlodipine relaxes blood vessels by blocking calcium from moving into them. It’s usually taken orally once a day.
Pfizer - Norvasc
Prescriptions in 2015: 86 million
Treats: high blood pressure, chest pain, heart failure
Developed in the late 1960s, metoprolol helps regulate the body’s response to nerve impulses, lowering the heart rate and decreasing blood pressure. It’s typically taken as a pill a few times a day.
Novartis - Lopressor
Prescriptions in 2015: 93 million
Treats: High cholesterol
The number of prescriptions written for Lipitor has more than doubled over the past five years. The drug went off patent in 2010 and has contributed to the growth of generic drug use since then.
Pfizer - Lipitor
Prescriptions in 2015: 97 million
Treats: Pain
Doctors prescribed fewer prescription painkillers last year, as awareness grows of the addiction danger posed by these drugs. The number of prescriptions have fallen nearly 30 percent since 2011.
Prescriptions in 2015: 106 million
Treats: high blood pressure and heart failure
This drug inhibits the chemicals in a body that can cause blood vessels to restrict, leading to high blood pressure. It’s patent expired in 2002, so there are many generic versions of the drug available.
Lisinopril
Prescriptions in 2015: 121 million
Treats: Hyperthyroidism
A synthetic form of a thyroid hormone, the off-brand versions of this drug were among the biggest drivers of growth in generic drug spending. The branded version of the drug (Synthroid) costs more than twice the generic.
Actavis - Levothyroxine