Top 10 Drugs - 2001 Retail Sales

[tswyk]

This just came across my desk and I found it to be VERY interesting.

Discuss if you wish. (this thread may die a VERY quick death, but I thought this info was very interesting!)

Note: All sales figures are in millions and are the retail figures for 2001.

1) Lipitor - Cholesterol Reducer - $4,517
2) Prilosec - Antiulcerant - $3,999
3) Prevacid - Antiulcerant - 3,195
4) Zocar - Cholesterol Reducer - $2,739
5) Celebrex - Antiarthritic - $2,387
6) Zoloft - Antidepressant - $2,152
7) Paxil - Antidepressant - $2,141
8) Vioxx - Antiarthritic - $2,026
9) Prozac - Antidepressant - $1,993
10) Augmentin - Enhanced Antibiotic - $1,873


I have the top 50, so if someone wants to know where a specific drug rates, let me know!

 

[LukkyKnight]

Where does insulin fall on the list, tswyk?

 

[sabbathstorm]

#10 I've never even heard of. I've dealt with a few of them in my day as medication that wasn't covered by provincial healthcare. The cost of them was phenomenal. Was wellbutrin in the top 50 anywhere?

 

[tswyk]

Where does insulin fall on the list, tswyk?

Lukky -

Insulin has several brand names and there are three here. I'm only showing ORAL remedies here, so I'm not sure if the stuff you inject isn't shown because it's not ranking or not. Here you go!

14 - Gluchphage - $1,734
32 - Actos - $934
33 - Avandia - $925

 

[tswyk]

#10 I've never even heard of. I've dealt with a few of them in my day as medication that wasn't covered by provincial healthcare. The cost of them was phenomenal. Was wellbutrin in the top 50 anywhere?

Wellbutrin SR is ranked as #21 with $1,185 MILLION in 2001 sales. The average cost of a RX of Wellbutrin is $91.55.

 

[RawHumor]

#10 I've never even heard of. I've dealt with a few of them in my day as medication that wasn't covered by provincial healthcare. The cost of them was phenomenal. Was wellbutrin in the top 50 anywhere?

I had to take that this year when I had some sort of weird flu type of thing. I couldn't really say it worked all that well, but I don't know if anything really would have.

 

[JazzManJim]

That kind of looks like my Christmas List!

 

[tswyk]

That kind of looks like my Christmas List!

'morning, Jimmie!

How ya' been?

 

[Marxist]

I pimp none of those.


And it makes me a very happy boy.

 

[JazzManJim]

'morning, Jimmie!

How ya' been?

Been in a weird funk the last three or four days. I can't really explain from where it came, but, save for an hour here and there, it's been hanging in pretty well.

I'm sure it'll pass though, in time.

How're you Oh Princess of the Pharmaceuticals?

 

[tswyk]

I pimp none of those.


And it makes me a very happy boy.

Thank you, Marxist for gracing my puny little thread!

 

[tswyk]

Been in a weird funk the last three or four days. I can't really explain from where it came, but, save for an hour here and there, it's been hanging in pretty well.

I'm sure it'll pass though, in time.

How're you Oh Princess of the Pharmaceuticals?

I'm busy - or I'm supposed to be! (Damn LIT!!!!)

But otherwise, really quite wonderful! The sun is shinning and the coffee is grand!

Hope your spirits pick up sweetie! You deserve to be happy!

Let me know if there anything I can do for you........except supply any of the above mentioned medications!!!

 

[Marxist]

Thank you, Marxist for gracing my puny little thread!

Oh stop it Scarlet, you're being dramatic.

 

[sabbathstorm]

Now where's Viagra in all that?

 

[JazzManJim]

I'm busy - or I'm supposed to be! (Damn LIT!!!!)

But otherwise, really quite wonderful! The sun is shinning and the coffee is grand!

Hope your spirits pick up sweetie! You deserve to be happy!

Let me know if there anything I can do for you........except supply any of the above mentioned medications!!!

I guess I'll work it out. Mostly I'm just feeling blue and rather cynical about the world at large.

I think maybe another hot bath may be in order or something.

And thank you. We'll talk more later, yes? I'm glad your day is going well.

 

[tswyk]

Oh stop it Scarlet, you're being dramatic.

OH! But I do it so well ....don't you think????

 

[Spinaroonie]

What I find disturbing is that most of those are advertised on mainstream TV to triX0r people into thinking they need them.

 

[tswyk]

We'll talk more later, yes? I'm glad your day is going well.

You know how to reach me, sweetie.

 

[tswyk]

Now where's Viagra in all that?

Viagra ranks #30 with $984 Million in sales - average RX cost of $67.30.

Not as high on the list as we might have thought.....but then, it's not meant to be a DAILY med, either.

 

[Marxist]

What I find disturbing is that most of those are advertised on mainstream TV to triX0r people into thinking they need them.

Many of those would get written anyway, advertising simply pushes people to request a particular brand from their doctor. But it does hike costs to the consumer.

 

[tswyk]

What I find disturbing is that most of those are advertised on mainstream TV to triX0r people into thinking they need them.

You are SOOO right about all of this. The Prescription Drug system is very screwed.

Drug companies spend millions promoting their new offerings, we see the commercials and then we ASK our doctors for them. This is why the RX costs are so high - someone has to pay for all of that advertising!!!!

It's also why your insurance carrier pays less for new drugs - they don't want to be the ones footing the bills for those TV commercials.

 

[red_rose]

Celebrex

tswyk,

I take Celebrex...and my current insurance has been "reviewing" my Rx for about a month now...

If it weren't for the samples my family members have gotten from their doctors, I'd be in pretty sad shape right now.

What is your occupation, if you don't mind my asking?

Someone suggested I press charges against Aetna if they don't cover my Rx...and that I press charges for them taking so long to respond.

Does anyone know of another way to get my med paid for?

(W/o insurance, Celebrex runs about $120 for 30 pills!)

 

[red_rose]

You are SOOO right about all of this. The Prescription Drug system is very screwed.

Drug companies spend millions promoting their new offerings, we see the commercials and then we ASK our doctors for them. This is why the RX costs are so high - someone has to pay for all of that advertising!!!!

It's also why your insurance carrier pays less for new drugs - they don't want to be the ones footing the bills for those TV commercials.

Ironic that you posted that right as I posted what I just did!

I was on Celebrex before those "What will you do..." commercials came out.

I don't know the mechanics of what makes it different, but I was on Naprosen for about a year and then it just stopped working for me... Celebrex seems to be the only thing that helps.

 

[JazzManJim]

Drug companies spend millions promoting their new offerings, we see the commercials and then we ASK our doctors for them. This is why the RX costs are so high - someone has to pay for all of that advertising!!!!

That and it's very expensive to even develop the drugs in the first place. Pharmaceuticals has to be one of the worst investment/risk potentials I've ever seen.

Companies develop drugs based on where they see either a need or demand, spend literally millions of dollars on this, and then it's still a crapshoot as to whether or not their drug is given the Golden Stamp by the FDA.

Then they have to go and recoup that investment, and somehow make enough money to pay their employees and other bills.

I don't envy them a bit.

 

[Spinaroonie]

The big problem is that most of the commericals don't even explain what the pill does very well, so they harass their doc asking if they need that.

If I was in charge,I wouldn't allow it. Instead, I would only allow them to advertise in Medical journals, and other publications designed to reach Doctors. If you inform the docs then the RIGHT people get the meds AND you have a less chance of somebody being damaged because of wrong meds