SingleCare annual prescription trend report: A review of the medication fills that surged in 2022

As 2022 comes to a close and many Americans have returned to pre-pandemic norms, new consumer prescription drug trends and behaviors have emerged. According to IQVIA, prescription drug use in the U.S. reached 194 billion daily doses in 2021, and medication spending is expected to return to pre-pandemic growth trend lines by 2023. SingleCare analyzed its prescription fill data to see which drug groups and medications saw the greatest change over the past year. 

Amid surging viruses across the U.S., antiviral medications skyrocket 92% on SingleCare

Antiviral medications help treat symptoms of certain viruses, including the flu, COVID-19, and shingles. Recently, some antiviral medications have become harder to find due to the heightened demand seen from this year’s cold and flu season. In 2022, SingleCare saw that antiviral medication fills grew by 92% compared to the previous year. Medications that SingleCare saw the highest increases for include: 

• 773% increase in oseltamivir phosphate (generic Tamiflu) 

• 88% increase in valacyclovir (generic Valtrex) 

SingleCare recently reported the flu trends it’s seen thus far: The report found that consumer fills for Tamiflu and oseltamivir phosphate, common antiviral medications for the flu, surged 9x in the fall months.

With more Americans seeking mental health treatment, antidepressants rose 46% on SingleCare

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, prescription medications for anxiety and depression have soared across the U.S. In a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 22% of adults received mental health treatment in 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, up from about 19% in 2019.

When comparing January through November 2022 to the same time period last year, SingleCare saw a 46% increase in fills for the drug group. Within the antidepressant drug group, SingleCare saw the following prescription fill increases: 

• 433% increase in desvenlafaxine (generic Pristiq) 

• 112% increase in bupropion (generic Wellbutrin)

• 89% increase in escitalopram oxalate (generic Lexapro) 

• 38% increase in sertraline (generic Zoloft) 

• 37% increase in fluoxetine (generic Prozac)

Erectile dysfunction medications increased 169% on SingleCare

According to the Urology Care Foundation, erectile dysfunction is the most common sex problem; it affects as many as 30 million men in the U.S. When comparing January through November 2022 to the same time period last year, SingleCare saw a 169% increase in fills for the erectile dysfunction medications. Prescriptions within the ED medications include: 

• 206% increase in tadalafil (generic Cialis)

• 158% increase in sildenafil (generic Viagra) 

• 54% increase in vardenafil (generic Levitra)

Top 10 most filled drugs on SingleCare in 2022 

In addition to the prescription drug trends this past year, SingleCare analyzed its data to see what medications consumers filled the most in 2022. 

Data analyzed reflects the top 10 most commonly filled prescriptions through SingleCare from Jan. 1, 2022, through Oct. 31, 2022, excluding opioids and weight-loss drugs. Prices compare lowest prices available on SingleCare as of Dec. 12, 2022, at national pharmacies. 

* The price shown includes SingleCare’s free loyalty program with $5 off new customer sign-up.

Methodology 

Data analyzed include medications filled by SingleCare consumers from Jan. 1, 2022 through Nov. 30, 2022 and compared to the same time period in 2021. Data was reviewed and analyzed by the SingleCare team as of Dec. 7, 2022.