Top 5 Most Prescribed Drugs in America and Their Uses
The most recent CDC survey shows that almost 50% of Americans use at least one prescription drug. Over 10% use over five prescription drugs at one time. There are over 20,000 Prescribed drugs available all over the world, but what are the most prescribed drugs in the United States? In this article, we’ll look at the top 5 most prescribed drugs in America and what they’re prescribed for.
5. Amlodipine
The first prescription medication on our list is Amlodipine. Amlodipine is used to treat high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and chest pain. It is also sold under the names:
- Norvasc
- Katerzia
- Amvaz
Amlodipine works by relaxing the blood vessels so that blood can flow more easily around the body. It can also be used to help improve exercise capacity in people who suffer from angina.
4. Metformin
Metformin is the fourth most prescribed medication on our list of prescription drugs. It is also sold under the names:
- Glucophage
- Fortamet
- Glumetza
- Riomet
More than 100 million adults live with diabetes and pre-diabetes in America. Metformin is the most commonly prescribed drug for type 2 diabetes, especially for patients who are overweight. Metformin can also be prescribed for individuals suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome.
3. Levothyroxine
In at number three is Levothyroxine, which is also sold under the names:
- Levo-T
- Synthroid
- Euthyrox
- Levoxyl
Levothyroxine is used to treat people with an underactive thyroid gland. It can also be used to prevent and treat different types of thyroid tumors. There are over 101.9 million Levothyroxine prescriptions.
2. Atorvastatin
Atorvastatin also goes by the name ‘Lipitor’ and is America’s second most prescribed drug with 104,774,006 prescriptions. It’s the most expensive drug on this list at the average price of $218.51 per refill.
Atorvastatin is prescribed to lower “bad” cholesterol and fats by reducing the amount of cholesterol made by the liver.
1. Lisinopril
The most prescribed drug in the United States is Lisinopril. This also goes under the names:
- Prinivil
- Zestril
- Qbrelis
Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor that is predominantly used to treat high blood pressure. It is also used to reduce the chance of heart failure and to help individuals recovering from a heart attack. With heart disease being the number one cause of death in the States it’s no surprise that Lisinopril has a staggering 104,779,318 prescriptions.
The United States and Prescribed Drugs
The United States spends more money per capita on prescription drugs than any other country in the world. This comes in at over $1000 per person every year. It probably has a lot to do with the fact the United States’ prescription drug prices are 256% higher than those of other countries.
Now you know the 5 most prescribed drugs in America you should go and take a look at the top 100. It’s important to understand what conditions drugs are prescribed for so you can better understand the most common health problems.
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