The 50 Most Prescribed Drugs in Medicare Part D (2023)
Data sourced from CMS Medicare Part D Public Use Files (2023). This site provides statistical analysis for transparency — not medical advice or accusations.
Read our methodology →When people think of Medicare drug costs, they think of expensive specialty drugs. But the drugs prescribed most often tell a different story — dominated by chronic disease management: blood thinners, statins, blood pressure medications, and diabetes drugs.
379,992,298
Claims (Top 50)
24%
Of All Claims
$21.88B
Cost (Top 50)
8%
Of All Spending
The Complete Top 50
Ranked by total claim count across all Medicare Part D prescribers in 2023:
| # | Drug (Generic) | Brand | Claims | Total Cost | $/Claim | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atorvastatin Calcium | Atorvastatin Calcium | 30,263,929 | $444.6M | $15 | 160,224 |
| 2 | Amlodipine Besylate | Amlodipine Besylate | 20,835,727 | $180.1M | $9 | 147,848 |
| 3 | Levothyroxine Sodium | Levothyroxine Sodium | 20,209,418 | $435.3M | $22 | 167,050 |
| 4 | Lisinopril | Lisinopril | 15,744,768 | $145.8M | $9 | 136,262 |
| 5 | Gabapentin | Gabapentin | 15,142,335 | $291.0M | $19 | 158,635 |
| 6 | Losartan Potassium | Losartan Potassium | 14,466,748 | $213.4M | $15 | 129,980 |
| 7 | Metformin Hcl | Metformin Hcl | 14,222,346 | $218.8M | $15 | 180,553 |
| 8 | Metoprolol Succinate | Metoprolol Succinate | 12,847,535 | $256.3M | $20 | 122,722 |
| 9 | Omeprazole | Omeprazole | 12,147,266 | $182.7M | $15 | 124,262 |
| 10 | Rosuvastatin Calcium | Rosuvastatin Calcium | 11,259,701 | $264.9M | $24 | 108,872 |
| 11 | Pantoprazole Sodium | Pantoprazole Sodium | 10,061,854 | $165.1M | $16 | 127,427 |
| 12 | Furosemide | Furosemide | 9,788,207 | $62.3M | $6 | 122,716 |
| 13 | Apixaban | Eliquis | 8,995,930 | $7.75B | $862 | 109,344 |
| 14 | Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen | Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen | 8,496,609 | $185.6M | $22 | 100,458 |
| 15 | Tamsulosin Hcl | Tamsulosin Hcl | 8,367,036 | $168.5M | $20 | 99,112 |
| 16 | Albuterol Sulfate | Albuterol Sulfate Hfa | 7,904,120 | $312.2M | $39 | 147,732 |
| 17 | Hydrochlorothiazide | Hydrochlorothiazide | 7,879,021 | $42.4M | $5 | 108,281 |
| 18 | Trazodone Hcl | Trazodone Hcl | 7,273,528 | $92.6M | $13 | 108,258 |
| 19 | Simvastatin | Simvastatin | 6,872,746 | $74.4M | $11 | 91,919 |
| 20 | Metoprolol Tartrate | Metoprolol Tartrate | 6,859,124 | $59.4M | $9 | 101,941 |
| 21 | Sertraline Hcl | Sertraline Hcl | 6,472,210 | $74.3M | $11 | 101,909 |
| 22 | Carvedilol | Carvedilol | 6,390,691 | $75.6M | $12 | 99,083 |
| 23 | Potassium Chloride | Klor-Con M20 | 6,137,143 | $172.6M | $28 | 104,442 |
| 24 | Prednisone | Prednisone | 5,970,737 | $37.3M | $6 | 127,116 |
| 25 | Clopidogrel Bisulfate | Clopidogrel | 5,428,304 | $84.7M | $16 | 91,809 |
| 26 | Fluticasone Propionate | Fluticasone Propionate | 5,343,836 | $187.5M | $35 | 109,154 |
| 27 | Famotidine | Famotidine | 5,257,365 | $84.3M | $16 | 91,359 |
| 28 | Tramadol Hcl | Tramadol Hcl | 5,226,406 | $44.9M | $9 | 96,156 |
| 29 | Duloxetine Hcl | Duloxetine Hcl | 5,106,690 | $167.7M | $33 | 98,224 |
| 30 | Montelukast Sodium | Montelukast Sodium | 5,086,706 | $81.3M | $16 | 84,070 |
| 31 | Escitalopram Oxalate | Escitalopram Oxalate | 4,975,143 | $73.6M | $15 | 90,494 |
| 32 | Alprazolam | Alprazolam | 4,899,372 | $36.1M | $7 | 73,891 |
| 33 | Meloxicam | Meloxicam | 4,714,084 | $28.6M | $6 | 86,918 |
| 34 | Latanoprost | Latanoprost | 4,388,601 | $92.3M | $21 | 30,521 |
| 35 | Pravastatin Sodium | Pravastatin Sodium | 4,033,829 | $76.8M | $19 | 76,773 |
| 36 | Allopurinol | Allopurinol | 3,852,206 | $56.9M | $15 | 78,466 |
| 37 | Quetiapine Fumarate | Quetiapine Fumarate | 3,820,737 | $100.9M | $26 | 68,887 |
| 38 | Clonazepam | Clonazepam | 3,685,968 | $34.4M | $9 | 66,864 |
| 39 | Oxycodone Hcl | Oxycodone Hcl | 3,537,078 | $213.2M | $60 | 66,776 |
| 40 | Oxycodone Hcl/Acetaminophen | Oxycodone-Acetaminophen | 3,487,099 | $136.4M | $39 | 51,483 |
| 41 | Diclofenac Sodium | Diclofenac Sodium | 3,418,852 | $216.8M | $63 | 74,667 |
| 42 | Alendronate Sodium | Alendronate Sodium | 3,414,824 | $41.4M | $12 | 70,080 |
| 43 | Empagliflozin | Jardiance | 3,334,784 | $3.58B | $1,074 | 71,367 |
| 44 | Bupropion Hcl | Bupropion Hcl Sr | 3,323,724 | $110.0M | $33 | 97,415 |
| 45 | Lorazepam | Lorazepam | 3,237,827 | $31.3M | $10 | 68,066 |
| 46 | Semaglutide | Ozempic | 3,193,643 | $4.30B | $1,347 | 71,812 |
| 47 | Donepezil Hcl | Donepezil Hcl | 3,178,215 | $50.3M | $16 | 53,121 |
| 48 | Mirtazapine | Mirtazapine | 3,166,739 | $70.2M | $22 | 64,470 |
| 49 | Zolpidem Tartrate | Zolpidem Tartrate | 3,144,599 | $31.3M | $10 | 71,452 |
| 50 | Spironolactone | Spironolactone | 3,126,938 | $39.4M | $13 | 72,776 |
Volume vs. Cost: Two Different Lists
The most-prescribed drugs are often not the most expensive. The top 5 by claims are mostly generic statins, blood pressure meds, and diabetes drugs costing dollars per claim. Meanwhile, the top drugs by cost ( see our cost analysis) are specialty biologics costing hundreds or thousands per claim.
Most Expensive Per Claim (Among Top 50)
| Drug | Cost/Claim | Total Cost | Claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semaglutide(Ozempic) | $1,347 | $4.30B | 3,193,643 |
| Empagliflozin(Jardiance) | $1,074 | $3.58B | 3,334,784 |
| Apixaban(Eliquis) | $862 | $7.75B | 8,995,930 |
| Diclofenac Sodium(Diclofenac Sodium) | $63 | $216.8M | 3,418,852 |
| Oxycodone Hcl(Oxycodone Hcl) | $60 | $213.2M | 3,537,078 |
| Albuterol Sulfate(Albuterol Sulfate Hfa) | $39 | $312.2M | 7,904,120 |
| Oxycodone Hcl/Acetaminophen(Oxycodone-Acetaminophen) | $39 | $136.4M | 3,487,099 |
| Fluticasone Propionate(Fluticasone Propionate) | $35 | $187.5M | 5,343,836 |
| Duloxetine Hcl(Duloxetine Hcl) | $33 | $167.7M | 5,106,690 |
| Bupropion Hcl(Bupropion Hcl Sr) | $33 | $110.0M | 3,323,724 |
Cheapest Per Claim (Among Top 50)
| Drug | Cost/Claim | Claims | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrochlorothiazide(Hydrochlorothiazide) | $5 | 7,879,021 | 108,281 |
| Furosemide(Furosemide) | $6 | 9,788,207 | 122,716 |
| Prednisone(Prednisone) | $6 | 5,970,737 | 127,116 |
| Meloxicam(Meloxicam) | $6 | 4,714,084 | 86,918 |
| Alprazolam(Alprazolam) | $7 | 4,899,372 | 73,891 |
| Amlodipine Besylate(Amlodipine Besylate) | $9 | 20,835,727 | 147,848 |
| Lisinopril(Lisinopril) | $9 | 15,744,768 | 136,262 |
| Metoprolol Tartrate(Metoprolol Tartrate) | $9 | 6,859,124 | 101,941 |
| Tramadol Hcl(Tramadol Hcl) | $9 | 5,226,406 | 96,156 |
| Clonazepam(Clonazepam) | $9 | 3,685,968 | 66,864 |
What This Tells Us
- • Chronic disease dominates — the most-prescribed drugs treat conditions that require ongoing, daily medication
- • Generics work — the highest-volume drugs are overwhelmingly generic, keeping per-claim costs low
- • The cost problem is concentrated — a handful of expensive brand drugs consume disproportionate spending
- • Provider reach matters — the most-prescribed drugs are written by 100K+ providers each
Understanding prescription volume — not just cost — is essential for policy. Programs that focus only on high-cost drugs miss the everyday medications that millions of Medicare beneficiaries depend on.
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