In reference to the U.S. commercially insured population, the study looked at six major drug-therapy classes and was based on a random sample of approximately 3-million individuals.
The Express Scripts "2004 Generic Drug Usage Report" also ranked generic drug use and savings opportunities by state, revealing significant variation across the six drug categories used to treat common ailments like stomach ulcers, inflammation, depression, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The company is one of the nation's premier managers of pharmacy benefit plans for employers, governments, unions, and health plans.
The most dramatic savings exists for generic gastrointestinals, which are dispensed only 31-percent nationwide, but the report finds it could realistically reach as much as 95-percent adoption.
Steve Miller, MD, Express Scripts Vice President, Research, and a study author says, "We have only scratched the surface in taking advantage of the money-saving potential of clinically sound generic drugs. As additional generics come to market and the use of prescription drugs grows, the opportunity to lower healthcare costs becomes even more significant. Best of all, using more generics simply requires better education and awareness of alternatives, not a big-dollar up-front investment."
On average, a generic drug costs nearly $60 less than a name brand drug. Consumers also pay a lower co-payment for generic medications, saving $10 or more per prescription on average compared to branded medications.
