Prescription medicines affect people across the life course—from the regular use seen in children and adolescents to higher vulnerability in older adults. The page explains how adverse drug events are tracked through FDA reporting, and how specific medication categories connect to emergency care and serious outcomes. It then links these health impacts to U.S. treatment delivery and financing, including prescription spending trends, Medicare Part D growth, brand-versus-generic patterns, and key federal policy moves.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, there were 1.4 million adverse drug event (ADE) reports to FDA's FAERS.
- Opioid-related ADEs accounted for 12% of all serious reports in FAERS 2022.
- Anticoagulants caused 20% of emergency department visits for ADEs in adults over 65.
- In 2021, average U.S. per capita spending on prescription drugs was $1,367.
- Prescription drug spending accounted for 9% of total U.S. health expenditures in 2021 at $405 billion.
- Medicare Part D drug spending grew 6% to $118 billion in 2021.
- In 2021, prescription opioid misuse led to 16,416 overdose deaths.
- From 1999-2020, over 562,000 deaths from prescription opioid overdoses.
- 10.3 million people misused prescription opioids in 2021.
- FDA approved 50 new drugs in 2022 under various pathways.
- Prescription Drug User Fee Act reauthorized through 2027 with $4.7B in fees.
- 95% of new molecular entities approved within 10 years post-1984 Orphan Drug Act.
- In 2022, approximately 60% of U.S. adults reported using at least one prescription medication in the past month.
- From 2015-2018, 48.0% of U.S. children and adolescents aged 0-19 years used at least one prescription medication in the past 30 days.
- In 2021, opioid prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. totaled 142.4 prescriptions per 100 people.
In 2022, opioid and anticoagulant medication risks drove many serious adverse events and rising overdose harm, alongside $405 billion spending.
Related reading
01 · Category
Adverse Effects18 stats
01
In 2022, there were 1.4 million adverse drug event (ADE) reports to FDA's FAERS.
02
Opioid-related ADEs accounted for 12% of all serious reports in FAERS 2022.
03
Anticoagulants caused 20% of emergency department visits for ADEs in adults over 65.
04
From 2006-2014, ADEs led to 262,619 hospitalizations in children.
05
Diabetes medications contributed to 11% of ADE ED visits in 2017.
06
In 2021, 7.5% of U.S. adults experienced an ADE from prescription drugs.
07
Statins were linked to 15,000 rhabdomyolysis cases in FAERS 2010-2020.
08
Antibiotics caused 1 in 5 ADE-related hospitalizations in patients over 65.
09
SSRI antidepressants had 25% rate of serious ADEs in elderly per meta-analysis.
10
From 2000-2019, 3,046 cardiac events reported for fluoroquinolones.
11
Opioids caused 46,000 overdose deaths in 2018, many from prescription.
12
In 2020, 142,000 emergency visits for non-opioid ADEs.
13
Warfarin ADEs led to 33,000 ED visits annually pre-DOACs.
14
Immunosuppressants had highest ADE rate at 25.2 per 1,000 users.
15
In 2019, 35% of ADEs in hospitals were preventable.
16
Atypical antipsychotics linked to 1.5-fold increase in stroke risk in elderly.
17
From 2013-2018, 2.3 million ADEs cost $8.6 billion in hospitalizations.
18
Oral chemotherapy ADEs occurred in 81% of patients per study.
Interpretation
Adverse Effects Interpretation
In 2022, adverse drug event reports to the FDA reached 1.4 million and opioid related events made up 12% of serious cases, underscoring how frequently serious adverse effects from prescription drugs are occurring.
02 · Category
Cost Statistics19 stats
01
In 2021, average U.S. per capita spending on prescription drugs was $1,367.
02
Prescription drug spending accounted for 9% of total U.S. health expenditures in 2021 at $405 billion.
03
Medicare Part D drug spending grew 6% to $118 billion in 2021.
04
Brand-name drugs made up 79% of Medicare Part D spending despite only 12% of prescriptions in 2020.
05
Average annual cost of Humira was $82,829per patient in the U.S. in 2021.
06
U.S. spent 2.6 times more per capita on drugs than other high-income countries in 2021.
07
Insulin list prices rose 54% from 2014-2018.
08
Prescription drug prices increased 40.1% from 2008-2021 after rebates.
09
Employer-sponsored insurance drug spending per enrollee was $1,200in 2022.
10
Generic drugs saved the U.S. $2.2 trillion from 2009-2019.
11
Net price growth for brand drugs was 5.9% annually from 2014-2021.
12
Out-of-pocket spending on drugs averaged $1,222for Medicare beneficiaries in 2019.
13
Specialty drugs accounted for 50% of total drug spending in 2021 despite 2% of prescriptions.
14
EpiPen price increased 450% from 2007-2016.
15
U.S. prescription drug spending per capita was $1,289in 2020, highest globally.
16
PBM rebates reached $208 billion in 2022 for commercial plans.
17
From 2006-2019, drug prices rose 91% while inflation was 27%.
18
Medicare spent $37 billion on top 10 drugs in 2021.
19
In 2022, average monthly premiums for Medicare Part D were $41.
Interpretation
Cost Statistics Interpretation
In 2021, prescription drugs drove high overall costs with per capita spending at $1,367 and totaling $405 billion, including Medicare Part D rising to $118 billion, while brand-name drugs dominated at 79% of spending despite just 12% of prescriptions.
03 · Category
Misuse And Overdose19 stats
01
In 2021, prescription opioid misuse led to 16,416 overdose deaths.
02
From 1999-2020, over 562,000 deaths from prescription opioid overdoses.
03
10.3 million people misused prescription opioids in 2021.
04
Heroin overdoses increased 4.6-fold from 2010-2019, often starting with prescriptions.
05
Benzodiazepine overdoses rose 4-fold from 2002-2015.
06
In 2020, 93,331 drug overdose deaths, 75% involving prescription or illicit opioids.
07
2.7 million adolescents misused prescription drugs in 2021.
08
Prescription stimulants misused by 5.1 million adults in 2021.
09
From 2010-2021, fentanyl-related overdoses from prescriptions surged 24-fold.
10
21% of patients with opioid prescriptions developed opioid use disorder.
11
In 2019, 745,000 ED visits for prescription opioid misuse.
12
Neonatal abstinence syndrome cases reached 7 per 1,000 births in 2017 due to maternal prescription use.
13
80% of heroin users first misused prescription opioids.
14
Stimulant misuse led to 24,486 overdose deaths in 2021.
15
Polysubstance overdoses involving prescription benzos and opioids tripled 1999-2017.
16
In 2022, 48 states reported increases in prescription drug diversion.
17
1.2 million people initiated nonmedical prescription opioid use annually pre-pandemic.
18
Overdose death rate from prescription opioids peaked at 9.0 per 100,000 in 2017.
19
In 2021, 107,941 total drug overdoses, 14% prescription-specific.
Interpretation
Misuse And Overdose Interpretation
In 2021, 16,416 overdose deaths tied to prescription opioid misuse and 10.3 million people misusing prescription opioids show how prescription misuse is still driving overdose harm at a massive scale.
More related reading
04 · Category
Policy And Regulation15 stats
01
FDA approved 50 new drugs in 2022 under various pathways.
02
Prescription Drug User Fee Act reauthorized through 2027 with $4.7B in fees.
03
95% of new molecular entities approved within 10 years post-1984 Orphan Drug Act.
04
Medicare Drug Price Negotiation under IRA to cover 10 drugs in 2026.
05
DEA scheduled 15 new substances as controlled in 2022.
06
Generic drug approvals hit 1,000+ annually since 2017 GDUFA.
07
192 warnings issued by FDA for unapproved drug promotion in 2022.
08
Biosimilar approvals reached 40 by 2023 under BPCIA.
09
REMS programs active for 70 drugs to mitigate risks in 2023.
10
Controlled substance prescriptions monitored via PDMP in all 50 states.
11
FDA's Sentinel System analyzed 500M+ claims for safety signals in 2022.
12
Inflation Reduction Act caps insulin at $35/month for Medicare.
13
3,000+ drug shortage reports resolved by FDA in 2022.
14
Accelerated approval pathway used for 81 oncology drugs since 1992.
15
E-prescribing mandated for controlled substances under SUPPORT Act by 2023.
Interpretation
Policy And Regulation Interpretation
Across policy and regulation, the FDA’s 50 new drug approvals in 2022 alongside a reauthorized Prescription Drug User Fee Act with $4.7B in fees through 2027 shows sustained regulatory throughput while initiatives like GDUFA exceeding 1,000 generic approvals annually since 2017 and IRA’s negotiation targeting 10 drugs in 2026 steadily reshape access and pricing.
05 · Category
Usage Statistics20 stats
01
In 2022, approximately 60% of U.S. adults reported using at least one prescription medication in the past month.
02
From 2015-2018, 48.0% of U.S. children and adolescents aged 0-19 years used at least one prescription medication in the past 30 days.
03
In 2021, opioid prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. totaled 142.4 prescriptions per 100 people.
04
Antidepressant use among U.S. adults increased from 10.7% in 2015-2018 to 13.2% in recent surveys.
05
In 2020, statins were used by 28% of U.S. adults aged 40 and over.
06
ADHD medication prescriptions for children aged 5-17 rose by 58% from 2003 to 2012.
07
In 2019, 16.1 million adults misused prescription psychotherapeutics in the past year.
08
Proton pump inhibitors were prescribed to 12.3% of U.S. adults in 2015-2016.
09
From 1999-2018, prescription opioid sales per capita quadrupled before declining.
10
In 2021, 12.5% of office visits resulted in antibiotic prescriptions.
11
Metformin was the most dispensed prescription drug in the U.S. in 2022 with over 100 million prescriptions.
12
Levothyroxine prescriptions reached 112 million in 2021.
13
In 2020, 4.7% of U.S. adults used prescription benzodiazepines in the past 30 days.
14
Prescription drug use among elderly Americans (65+) was 84% in 2019.
15
In 2018, 9.2% of pregnant women filled an opioid prescription.
16
ADHD stimulant prescriptions for adults increased 58% from 2006-2016.
17
In 2022, Ozempic prescriptions surged by 300% year-over-year.
18
Antihypertensive medication use was 45.2% among U.S. adults with hypertension in 2015-2018.
19
In 2019, 5.9 million children received a mental health prescription.
20
Prescription fills for semaglutide reached 9.4 million in 2022.
Interpretation
Usage Statistics Interpretation
Usage Statistics show that prescription medication use is widespread and still rising, with about 60% of U.S. adults reporting at least one prescription in the past month and antidepressant use climbing from 10.7% in 2015 to 2018 to 13.2% in recent surveys.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Prescription Drug Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/prescription-drug-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Prescription Drug Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/prescription-drug-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Prescription Drug Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/prescription-drug-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level