The top 10 most prescribed drugs in the United States are generally low-cost, widely used medications for chronic conditions.
Top 10 Most Prescribed Drugs by Volume (2024-2025) 1. Atorvastatin calcium – Most prescribed drug in 2025. 2. Levothyroxine drugs-used for thyroid hormone replacement. 3. Vitamin D – 4. Amoxicillin 5. Metformin 6. Amlodipine 7. Omeprazole – Proton pump inhibitor 8. Sertraline – Antidepressant 9. Ibuprofen – Pain reliever/anti-inflammatory 10. Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen – Pain medication
Highest-Spending Drugs-Different from Most Prescribed
Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) topped the list of most popular drugs by overall U.S. spending in 2023, despite not being among the most prescribed by volume.
Keytruda continued to dominate with $29.5 billion in sales in 2024 .
Overall prescription drug spending was expected to rise by 10.0% to 12.0% in 2024
Generic versions of many top prescribed drugs are available at much lower costs.
While expensive specialty drugs like semaglutide and Keytruda drive the highest spending, common chronic disease medications like atorvastatin and levothyroxine remain the most frequently prescribed by volume.
Most of these drugs are available as generics, making them affordable for most patients.
Out-of-pocket costs can be even lower with insurance or pharmacy discount programs.
Brand name versions of these drugs can be significantly more expensive, but generics are almost always prescribed when available.