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Pharmaceutical spending per capita in Canada stood at 871 U.S. dollars in 2024 (constant prices). In comparison, Korea reported per capita spending of nearly 818 U.S. dollars. As for medical goods and services in general, the U.S. is among the countries with the highest health costs worldwide.Ìý

Higher drug prices in the U.S.

Higher spending on pharmaceuticals is less impacted by higher drug usage by Americans and more by significantly higher drug prices in the United States. While in other countries, drug prices are regulated more or less by governments, the U.S. leaves drug pricing to market competition. As an outcome, the U.S. market is the most profitable for pharmaceutical companies. For example, the price for blockbuster drug Humira was six times higher in the United States than in Germany (2022).Ìý

Rx drug usage in the U.S.

Almost half of all Americans have taken at least one prescription medicine within the preceding month. Generally, women take more prescribed drugs than men, although the difference has decreased significantly over the past two decades. In the United States, among the therapeutic areas where spending is the highest are diabetes, oncology, autoimmune, and respiratory diseases. On the other hand, antihypertensives and mental health drugs are the leading classes based on the number of prescriptions filled.