Writings from The Secret Heart
Filetype:
pdf
Filesize: 2663953
Agency for Healthcare
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
Research and Quality
STATISTICAL BRIEF #65
February 2005
Top 10 Outpatient Prescription
Medicines Ranked by Utilization and
Expenditures for the Near Elderly in
the U.S. Community Population, 2002
Marie N. Stagnitti, MPA
Introduction
This Statistical Brief provides a summary of the top 10 outpatient
prescription medicines for the near elderly, persons age 55–64, in
the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized (community) population by
utilization and expenditures, as reported by household respondents
in calendar year 2002. The brief also provides trends in annual
prescribed medicine expenditures for the near elderly from 1996 to
2002.
The estimates in this brief are derived from prescribed medicine
data in the Household Component of the 2002 Medical Expenditure
Panel Survey (MEPS-HC). Over-the-counter medicines and free
samples are not included in these estimates. All results discussed
are statistically significant at the 0.05 level.
Findings
In 2002, the top 10 household-reported prescribed medicines for
the near elderly when ranked by annual expenditures totaled $7.39
billion. This represented 23.8 percent of the total $31.1 billion spent
by the near elderly on prescription medicines in 2002 (figure 1) and
included the following:
Top 10 Prescribed Medicines for Persons Age 55–64,
by Total Expenditures, 2002
Rank
Prescribed medicine name
Total dollars (in billions)
1
Lipitor
$1.80
2
Zocor
$1.14
3
Prevacid
$0.74
4
Celebrex
$0.68
5
Premarin
$0.63
6
Prilosec
$0.58
7
Norvasc
$0.52
8
Vioxx
$0.44
9
Pravachol
$0.44
10
Glucophage
$0.42
Total
Total of top 10
$7.39
Highlights
?
Expenditures for prescribed
medicines by the near elderly
reported as purchased by
respondents in the U.S. com
munity population totaled $31.1
billion in 2002, an increase of 19.6
percent from the $26.0 billion total
reported in 2001, and an increase
of 180 percent from the $11.1
billion total reported in 1996.
?
In 2002, when ranked by total
expenditures, the top 10 pre
scribed medicines for the near
elderly totaled $7.39 billion,
representing nearly one-fourth
(23.8 percent) of total prescribed
medicine expenditures by those
age 55–64.
?
Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering
medicine, ranked number one in
terms of total utilization (21.24
million prescriptions, representing
3.9 percent of total prescriptions
purchased) and total expenditures
($1.80 billion, representing 5.8
percent of total prescribed medi
cine expenditures) for the near
elderly in 2002.
?
Lipitor, Zocor, and Pravachol, the
three cholesterol-lowering pre
scribed medicines that ranked in
the 2002 top 10 list for total
expenditures for the near elderly,
totaled $3.4 billion and accounted
for 10.9 percent of total pre
scribed medicine expenditures by
those age 55–64 in 2002.
?
In 2002, two Cox-2 Inhibitor non
steroidal anti-inflammatory
medicines, Celebrex and Vioxx,
made the top 10 list for the near
elderly when ranked by total
purchases, with total combined
expenditures of $1.1 billion, which
represented 3.5 percent of total
prescription medicine expendi
tures by those age 55–64.
In 2002, the top two prescribed medicines for the near elderly in terms of expenditures were cholesterol-
lowering medicines. Lipitor ranked first at $1.80 billion, and Zocor ranked second at $1.14 billion. A third
cholesterol-lowering medicine, Pravachol, ranked ninth at $0.44 billion. Expenditures for these three
medicines totaled $3.4 billion, which represented 10.9 percent of total prescription medicine expenditures
by the near elderly in 2002.
Ranking third and sixth in 2002 total prescription medicine expenditures for the near elderly were two anti
ulcer medicines, Prevacid and Prilosec. Prevacid ranked third, with $0.74 billion, and Prilosec sixth, with
$0.58 billion. The total expenditures for these two medicines combined were $1.3 billion and represented
4.2 percent of total prescription medicine expenditures by the near elderly in 2002.
Two Cox-2 Inhibitor non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, Celebrex and Vioxx, ranked fourth and
eighth in total prescription medicine expenditures by the near elderly in 2002, with $0.68 billion and $0.44
billion, respectively. Total expenditures for these two medicines combined were $1.1 billion and
represented 3.5 percent of total prescription medicine expenditures by the near elderly in 2002.
The remaining 2002 top 10 prescribed medicines in terms of total expenditures by the near elderly were
the following: Premarin, an estrogen, ranked fifth with $0.63 billion, Norvasc, an antihypertensive
medicine, ranked seventh with expenditures of $0.52 billion, and Glucophage, an antihyperglycemic
agent, ranked tenth with $0.42 billion.
In 2002, the top 10 household-reported prescribed medicines for the near elderly when ranked by total
annual utilization accounted for 112.71 million prescriptions. This represented one-fifth (20.9 percent) of
the 538.98 million total prescription medicines purchased by the near elderly in 2002 (data not shown)
and included the following:
Top 10 Prescribed Medicines for Persons Age 55–64,
by Total Utilization, 2002
Rank
Prescribed medicine name
Total utilization
(in millions of prescriptions)
1
Lipitor
21.24
2
Premarin
15.04
3
Hydrochlorothiazide
11.58
4
Atenolol
11.50
5
Synthroid
11.25
6
Zocor
10.56
7
Toprol
10.26
8
Norvasc
8.34
9
Celebrex
6.96
10
Prevacid
5.98
Total
Total of Top 10
112.71
Lipitor ranked first in terms of utilization by the near elderly, with a total of 21.24 million prescriptions
purchased in 2002. Zocor ranked sixth in terms of total number of prescriptions purchased, with 10.56
million prescriptions. The utilization for these two cholesterol-lowering medicines combined totaled 31.77
million prescriptions, which represented 5.9 percent of total prescribed medicine purchases by the near
elderly in 2002.
Premarin, an estrogen, ranked second in terms of prescriptions purchased in 2002, with 15.04 million
prescriptions, which represented 2.8 percent of total prescription medicines purchases by the near elderly
in 2002.
In 2002, antihypertensive medicines ranked third, fourth, seventh, and eighth in terms of number of
prescriptions purchased by the near elderly. These medicines were Hydrochlorothiazide (11.58 million),
Atenolol (11.50 million), Toprol (10.26 million), and Norvasc (8.34 million), respectively. The combined
total for these antihypertensive medicines totaled 41.68 million prescriptions and represented 7.7 percent
of the 538.98 billion prescriptions purchased by the near elderly in 2002.
Synthroid, a thyroid medicine, was fifth when ranked by total purchases, with 11.25 million prescriptions
purchased by the near elderly in 2002.
Rounding out the rankings by number of prescriptions purchased by the near elderly in 2002 were
Celebrex and Prevacid in the ninth and tenth spots. Celebrex, a Cox-2 Inhibitor non-steroidal anti
inflammatory, was ninth with 6.96 million prescriptions, and Prevacid, an anti-ulcer medicine, was tenth
with 5.98 million prescriptions purchased.
Data Source
The estimates in this Statistical Brief are drawn from analyses using the 1996-2002 MEPS prescribed
medicines public use files: HC-010A, HC-016A, HC-026A, HC-033A, HC-051A, HC-059A, and HC-067A.
About MEPS-HC
MEPS-HC is a nationally representative longitudinal survey that collects detailed information on health
care utilization and expenditures, health insurance, and health status, as well as a wide variety of social,
demographic, and economic characteristics for the civilian noninstitutionalized population. It is
cosponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Center for Health
Statistics.
For more information about MEPS, call the MEPS information coordinator at AHRQ (301-427-1406) or
visit the MEPS Web site at http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/.
References
For a detailed description of the MEPS-HC survey design, sample design, and methods used to minimize
sources on nonsampling error, see the following publications:
Cohen, J. Design and Methods of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component. MEPS
Methodology Report No. 1. AHCPR Pub. No. 97-0026. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research, 1997.
Cohen, S. Sample Design of the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component. MEPS
Methodology Report No. 2. AHCPR Pub. No. 97-0027. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research, 1997.
Suggested Citation
Stagnitti, M. N. Top 10 Outpatient Prescription Medicines Ranked by Utilization and Expenditures for the
Near Elderly in the U.S. Community Population, 2002. Statistical Brief #65. February 2005. Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.
http://meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files/publications/st65/stat65.pdf
Expenditure Panel Survey, 2002
19.0
26.0
31.1
17.0
13.8
12.4
11.1
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Billions
Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical
Figure 1. Total prescription drug expenditures for persons age 55–64
(near elderly) in the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population,
1996–2002
