2000 US Rx sales up 14.9% to $145 billion, with volume the main driver, says

US prescription drug sales grew 14.9% in 2000 to total $145 billion,from $126 billion in 1999, IMS Health has reported. New, more effective drug therapies, an aging population and growing consumer demand all fueled an increase in volume of drugs dispensed, the primary driver of this growth, says the company.

8.9% of 2000's growth resulted from a higher number of prescriptions dispensed, while 3.9% came from price increases and 2.1% were due to new product introductions, according to IMS. The top 10 therapy classes accounted for 37% of total prescription sales, with six of these growing over 20%.

The leading products were cholesterol reducers, with sales rising 9% to $24.9 billion at wholesale level. The fastest-growers were the COX-2 inhibitors, up 105.4% to $3.7 billion in eighth place. Also doing well were seizure disorder drugs, up 28.3% to ninth with $3.5 billion, erythropoietins in seventh spot, up 26.8% to $3.9 billion, antipsychotics up 27.6% to $4.0 billion in sixth place and proton pump inhibitors, up 25.8% to $8.3 billion, at number three.