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. community 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 prescribed 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 medicine expenditures) for the near 

elderly in 2002. 

� Lipitor, Zocor, and Pravachol, the 

three cholesterol-lowering prescribed 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 prescribed medicine expenditures by 

those age 55–64 in 2002. 

� In 2002, two Cox-2 Inhibitor nonsteroidal 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 expenditures by those age 55–64. 
In 2002, the top two prescribed medicines for the near elderly in terms of expenditures were cholesterollowering 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 antiulcer 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 antiinflammatory, 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