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Drugs
Drugs
The drugs Medicare patients fill most, with what the FDA label says they are for, which doctors prescribe them, what Medicare spends, and recalls and shortages. Medicare Part D data for 2024.
Map: where Medicare drugs are prescribed
Choose a drug group or a single drug. Prescriptions per 1,000 residents aged 65 and over, by county or state; click a state to see its counties.
Drug groups
- Statins (cholesterol) 126,579,151
- Antidepressants 92,492,810
- Opioid painkillers 51,639,494
- Common antibiotics 46,677,008
- Gabapentin & pregabalin (nerve pain) 41,838,535
- Blood thinners (Eliquis, Xarelto, warfarin) 33,275,491
- Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin) 30,249,235
- GLP-1 drugs (Ozempic, Mounjaro, Trulicity) 19,369,350
- Antipsychotics 19,139,914
- SGLT2 diabetes & heart drugs (Jardiance, Farxiga) 16,187,721
- Insulin (all types) 15,132,515
- Dementia drugs (donepezil, memantine) 13,777,730
- ADHD stimulants (Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse) 2,717,697
- Opioid addiction treatment (buprenorphine, naltrexone) 2,396,237
Numbers are Medicare Part D prescriptions in 2024, including refills.
Most-prescribed drugs
456 drugs
Sources: CMS Medicare Part D Prescribers by Provider and Drug (2024); U.S. Food and Drug Administration (openFDA drug labels, NDC directory, recalls and shortages). This is general information, not medical advice.
About this page
Look up the Medicare drugs that patients fill most. For each drug, you can see what the FDA label says it is used for and any boxed warning. You can also see how many prescriptions Medicare covered and what they cost, which specialties prescribe it, and the clinicians who prescribe it in any state, county, city or ZIP code.
What each Medicare drug page shows
- Uses, boxed warnings and pill images from the FDA label.
- Prescriptions and costs in Medicare Part D, with a six-year trend.
- The specialties that prescribe it, and a filterable list of prescribers.
- Recalls and shortages, and payments from the companies that make it.
Map Medicare drugs by state and county
The interactive map shows Medicare prescriptions per 1,000 residents aged 65 and over. You can map single drugs or drug groups. For example, try GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, blood thinners, opioids, ADHD stimulants or statins. Then select a state to compare its counties.
About the data
Prescribing data comes from Medicare Part D Prescribers (opens in a new tab). Label text and pill images come from the National Library of Medicine’s DailyMed (opens in a new tab). However, Part D covers only Medicare patients, so it shows part of all prescribing. Also, CMS hides very small counts to protect privacy.
This is general information only, not medical advice. Therefore, ask your pharmacist or clinician about your own medicines. Related: most prescribed drugs in Medicare, fastest-growing drugs, how to identify a pill.
Questions about Medicare drugs
Does Medicare cover my drug? Coverage depends on your Part D plan’s list of covered drugs. Our pages show what Medicare plans paid in total. However, they do not show your own costs. So check your plan or call Medicare.
Why do Medicare drug costs here differ from my pharmacy price? Our totals are what Part D plans and patients paid together, before rebates. In contrast, your price depends on your plan, your pharmacy and any discounts.