65 Retired Taking Meds, 5 Most Expensive Prescription Drugs for Retirees…
RETIREES SPENT $92.8 billion on prescription drugs in 2010. The majority of this money (68 percent) was paid for just five types of medications that cost Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older $63.4 billion, according to a recent analysis by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Here are the five most expensive types of medications retirees use: Metabolic drugs. Simvastatin, Metformin, Lipitor, Pravastatin and Crestor are among the metabolic drugs that senior citizens spent $22.5 billion on in 2010, the most of any type of medication. This calculation includes out-of-pocket, private and public insurance costs for Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older, but does not take into account over-the-counter medicines or drugs administered in a clinic or physician's office. Over half (59 percent) of Medicare beneficiaries use metabolic medicines, and the…