Where are doctors prescribing the most GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro and Trulicity? In 2024, Medicare drug plans covered 19.4 million GLP-1 prescriptions, with total spending of $24.3 billion. Louisiana prescribed them at nearly twice the national rate, and Hawaii, Oregon and Washington at about 60% of it. This map shows GLP-1 prescriptions by state and county, plus 13 other drug groups, from blood thinners to opioid painkillers.
Key findings
- 19.4 million Medicare GLP-1 prescriptions were filled in 2024: about 332 for every 1,000 residents aged 65 and over. Total spending on them came to $24.3 billion before rebates.
- By state, Louisiana (601 per 1,000), Alabama (530), Kentucky (504) and Oklahoma (492) prescribe GLP-1 drugs the most. Hawaii (194), Oregon (211) and Washington (214) prescribe them the least.
- Semaglutide (Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy) made up 10.8 million of those prescriptions. Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) made up 4.6 million, and its use is the most uneven: Louisiana’s rate (223 per 1,000) is almost three times the national rate (80).
- Blood thinners such as Eliquis and Xarelto cost Medicare even more than GLP-1 drugs: $25.1 billion for 33.3 million prescriptions.
How to use the GLP-1 prescriptions by state map
- Choose a drug group or a single drug from the menu or the quick picks. Groups add up every Medicare product name for those drugs, including combination pills.
- Switch between states and counties, and between the rate per 1,000 residents aged 65 and over and the total number of prescriptions.
- Hover or tap any area to see its prescriptions, Medicare spending and number of older residents. Click a state to see its counties.
- Use the Table view or Download CSV to get the numbers behind any view. The page address updates as you explore, so you can share the exact view.
GLP-1 prescriptions by state
GLP-1 drugs were first approved to treat type 2 diabetes. Medicare drug plans are not allowed to cover drugs used only for weight loss, so most of these prescriptions are for diabetes. Since 2024, plans can also cover a GLP-1 drug when it is prescribed for another approved use, such as lowering heart risk. The state pattern follows the map of diabetes and obesity closely: the highest rates are in the South and the lower Midwest, and the lowest are in the West, Hawaii and parts of New England.
Which GLP-1 drug doctors choose also varies by region. Dulaglutide (Trulicity), an older weekly injection, is used most in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Tirzepatide and semaglutide are used most in Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky and Oklahoma.
13 more Medicare prescribing maps
Every group below works the same way on the map. Rates are Medicare Part D prescriptions per 1,000 residents aged 65 and over in 2024. Puerto Rico is left out of the state rankings because Medicare drug coverage works differently there.
| Drug group | Prescriptions | Medicare spending | Per 1,000 aged 65+ | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLP-1 drugs | 19.4M | $24.3B | 332 | LA, AL, KY | HI, OR, WA |
| SGLT2 drugs (Jardiance, Farxiga) | 16.2M | $15.7B | 277 | MS, KY, LA | WY, NH, NM |
| Insulin | 15.1M | $4.9B | 259 | KY, WV, IN | AK, HI, NV |
| Blood thinners | 33.3M | $25.1B | 570 | ND, SD, IA | HI, NM, AK |
| Statins | 126.6M | $1.5B | 2,168 | KY, ND, LA | NM, WY, AK |
| Opioid painkillers | 51.6M | $1.6B | 884 | KY, AL, AR | HI, DC, NY |
| Opioid addiction treatment | 2.4M | $0.5B | 41 | KY, WV, VT | HI, IA, NV |
| Gabapentin & pregabalin | 41.8M | $0.7B | 717 | KY, AR, MS | HI, NJ, AK |
| ADHD stimulants | 2.7M | $0.2B | 47 | RI, NH, ME | HI, CA, NV |
| Benzodiazepines | 30.3M | $0.2B | 518 | RI, WV, AR | HI, AK, AZ |
| Antidepressants | 92.5M | $1.3B | 1,584 | KY, AR, MO | HI, AK, NV |
| Antipsychotics | 19.1M | $1.5B | 328 | RI, MO, MA | HI, NM, NV |
| Dementia drugs | 13.8M | $0.4B | 236 | MS, IN, GA | AK, ME, HI |
| Common antibiotics | 46.7M | $0.4B | 799 | KY, AL, MS | AK, HI, WA |
A few patterns stand out. Kentucky is at or near the top for opioid painkillers, opioid addiction treatment, antidepressants and antibiotics. New England states prescribe the most ADHD stimulants to Medicare patients. Hawaii has the lowest or near-lowest rate for almost every group, which may partly reflect how care and drug coverage are organized there rather than lower need.
Reading the county map
Prescriptions are counted where the prescriber practices, not where the patient lives. That makes county maps look very different from state maps. Counties with a regional medical center, such as Forrest County, Mississippi (Hattiesburg) or Potter County, Texas (Amarillo), show very high rates because patients from surrounding counties see doctors there. Their neighbors, like Randall County, Texas, show low rates for the same reason. To compare places fairly, use the state view, or look at a whole region rather than one county.
How we built this map
The prescriptions come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) dataset Medicare Part D Prescribers by Provider and Drug for 2024. It lists, for each prescriber, how many Part D claims they wrote for each drug and what those drugs cost. We placed each prescriber in the county of their practice address from the NPI registry, added up the claims for each drug or group, and divided by the number of residents aged 65 and over from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2020–2024.
Keep in mind:
- This covers Medicare Part D only: stand-alone drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage. Prescriptions paid by private insurance, Medicaid, the VA or cash aren’t included.
- A claim is one fill or refill. A 90-day supply counts once, like a 30-day supply.
- Part D also covers some people under 65 with disabilities. We divide by residents aged 65 and over because they are most Medicare members, so the rate is a fair way to compare places, not the share of older adults taking a drug.
- To protect patient privacy, CMS removes any prescriber and drug pair with fewer than 11 claims. Small counties can therefore show “none reported” even when a few prescriptions were written there.
- Prescribing rates describe patterns, not the quality of care. A high rate can reflect more illness, more older residents with a condition, or a regional clinic that serves a wide area.
More detail is on our methodology page. For where doctors practice, see the doctors per capita map.
Frequently asked questions
Which state prescribes the most GLP-1 drugs?
Louisiana, with about 601 Medicare GLP-1 prescriptions per 1,000 residents aged 65 and over in 2024, followed by Alabama (530), Kentucky (504) and Oklahoma (492). The national rate is 332.
How many Ozempic and other GLP-1 prescriptions did Medicare pay for?
Medicare Part D covered 19.4 million GLP-1 prescriptions in 2024, costing $24.3 billion before rebates. Semaglutide (Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy) accounted for 10.8 million of them, tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) for 4.6 million, and dulaglutide (Trulicity) for 3.8 million.
Does Medicare cover Ozempic for weight loss?
By law, Medicare drug plans can’t cover drugs used only for weight loss. They do cover GLP-1 drugs for type 2 diabetes, and since 2024 they can cover them for other approved uses, such as reducing heart risk. Coverage depends on the plan, so check with yours.
Why does my county show “none reported”?
Either no local prescriber wrote that drug for Medicare patients, or each wrote fewer than 11 prescriptions, which CMS hides to protect privacy. People in that county may also see prescribers in a nearby county.
Sources: Medicare Part D Prescribers (opens in a new tab) (CMS) and the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (opens in a new tab).