A new Statistical Brief based on the MEPS data examines adult prescription drug spending for the year 2008. (AHRQ Brief) The Brief identifies five classes of drugs accounting for $155 billion in spending that year, or about 67% of all spending on drugs in 2008. Those classes are metabolic, with $52 billion in spending; central nervous system with $35 billion; cardiovascular with $29 billion; gastrointestinal with $20 billion and psychotropics with $20 billion.
About two-thirds of adults had at least prescription drug expense during the year and of those two-thirds, 46% had a CNS prescription and 41% had a cardiovascular one. So about 30% of Americans filled a CNS prescription during 2008. Metabolic drugs accounted for the highest level of expense, however, at around 21% of total spending. GI had the highest average expense per prescription–$133, which was more than three times the cost of the lowest average, cardiovascular at $39 per prescription. Metabolic was at $101 and psychotropic at $99. Interesting data.
The Healthy Skeptic is a website about the health care system, and is written by Kevin Roche, who has many years of experience working in the health industry. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements through Roche Consulting, LLC and may be reached at 
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