As a pharmacist, you probably know intuitively -- and may even be able to list in the correct order -- the nation’s most-prescribed drugs. (To see if you’re right, check our “top 10” list below.) You may even be able to name all the most popular vitamins and supplements in America. Not surprisingly, a lot of high-volume supplements are directly correlated with associated disease states (e.g. CoQ10 and fish oil for high cholesterol, versus Lipitor and other statins).
What may surprise you is some of the volume and associated dollar amounts for various drugs and supplements. For example, did you know that probiotics will represent a $69 billion industry segment by 2023 (yes, that’s billion with a “B”)? Or that magnesium sales surpassed $10 billion annually in 2020?
See the charts below to learn the top drugs and supplement equivalents to treat various disease states.
We’ve also got a list of supplements and their market sizes in US dollars.
Lastly, there’s a “top 10” ranking of US prescriptions by volume.
Stay tuned to this space, as in the coming months we’ll be adding research on the most profitable supplement brands and types of vitamins and nutraceuticals that are used by your independent pharmacy peers.
Drugs and Supplement Equivalents
| Drug | Treatment For | Supplement Equivalent |
| Lipitor/Statins | High cholesterol | CoQ10, fish oil |
| Lisinopril | Hypertension | Magnesium, CoQ10, fish oil |
| Albuterol | Bronchospasm | Vit D, magnesium, Vit C |
| Levothyroxine | Thyroid deficiency | Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D |
| Amlodipine | Angina, hypertension | Magnesium, CoQ10, fish oil |
| Gabapentin | Seizures, epilepsy, nerve pain | Vitamin B, Zinc |
| Omeprazole | GERD | Vitamin B and C |
| Metformin | Diabetes | Multivitamins, Vit D, B12, fish oil |
| Losartan | Hypertension, stroke kidney disease | Magnesium, CoQ10, fish oil |
| Hydrocodone/Vicodin | Moderate to severe pain | Turmeric, Vit D, Vit B, fish oils |
Supplement Market Size
| Supplement | Treatment For | Global Market Size in USD |
| Vit D | bone health, diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease | $450.2 million in 2020 (North America Only) |
| Magnesium | Sleep disorder, hypertension | $10B in 2020 |
| Fish Oil | inflammation, heart health | $2.1B in 2020 |
| CoQ10 | antioxidant, heart health, HDL cholesterol | $548.69 Million in 2020 |
| Multivitamins | $38B by 2025 $119B in 2020 (all multivitamins and supplements) |
|
| Probiotics | Gastrointestinal disorders | $69B in 2023 |
| Curcumin/Turmeric | Arthritis, inflammation | $1.3B by 2025 |
| Vit C | Cardiovascular disease, colds | $1.1B in 2020 |
| Vit B-Complex | Neurological function, stress, heart disease | $642M in 2020 for Vit B-1 |
| Vit B-12 | Red blood cell formation, neurological function | $409M by 2027 |
Top 10 Prescriptions by Volume
| Medication | Treatment For | Global Market Size in USD |
| Statins/Lipitor | High cholesterol | Lipitor was worth $2B a year globally in 2019; The market for statins and cholesterol-lowering drugs will be worth an estimated $37B by 2027. |
| Ace inhibitors (Lisinopril) | Hypertension; blood vessel dilation | Estimated to be worth more than $8.1B by 2026 |
| Respiratory inhalers (Albuterol) | Asthma, COPD, bronchospasms | $47B by2026 |
| Thyroid hormones (Levothyroxine) | Thyroid diseases and disorders | $2.16B in 2020 |
| Calcium channel blockers (Norvasc/Amolodipine) | Hypertension | $13.3B in 2020 |
| Gabapentin | Nerve pain, seizures, anti-epileptic | $1.717B in 2020 |
| Omeprazole | GERD, ulcers, stomach acid overproduction | $2.6B in 2017 |
| Metformin | Type 2 diabetes | $331 million by 2027 |
| Losartan (angiotensin receptor blocker) | antihypertensive | $4.73B in 2020 |
| Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (Vicodin) | Opioid, pain reliever | The prescription pain killer market is projected to be worth $29B by 2023. |
