The U.S. spends the most on pharmaceuticals, in both total and per capita, of any country in the world. The prices paid for a given prescription, however, can vary wildly between and even within markets nationwide.
Texas, California and New York are home to some of the nation’s top hospitals, and many of them are academic medical centers or specialized cancer research centers. That means they're more likely to use costly experimental drugs, which drives up total prescription charges.
Population size can also affect total prescription charges within a state. In larger patient populations, providers need to write more prescriptions, meaning providers in large, populous states are more likely to have higher pharmaceutical charges than those in less populous states.
Nonetheless, payers forked over the most money for prescription drugs per capita in North Dakota., closely followed by Louisiana, according to Definitive Healthcare. Both states' figures are more than 10 times that of Maine, the lowest state on this list.
Note: Data for Utah was not available.
|
|
State |
Drug charges per capita | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
North Dakota |
$761,125,451 |
779,261 |
$977 |
|
2 |
Louisiana |
$4,473,505,451 |
4,590,241 |
$975 |
|
3 |
Arkansas |
$2,647,439,647 |
3,045,637 |
$869 |
|
4 |
West Virginia |
$1,440,207,416 |
1,775,156 |
$811 |
|
5 |
Kentucky |
$3,317,254,416 |
4,512,310 |
$735 |
|
6 |
Mississippi |
$1,998,426,493 |
2,940,057 |
$680 |
|
7 |
Montana |
$702,619,437 |
1,122,867 |
$626 |
|
8 |
Idaho |
$1,075,276,874 |
1,939,033 |
$555 |
|
9 |
North Carolina |
$5,808,267,312 |
10,698,973 |
$543 |
|
10 |
Missouri |
$3,218,784,444 |
6,177,957 |
$521 |
|
11 |
Texas |
$15,296,874,840 |
30,029,572 |
$509 |
|
12 |
Minnesota |
$2,851,241,351 |
5,717,184 |
$499 |
|
13 |
Tennessee |
$3,477,966,886 |
7,051,339 |
$493 |
|
14 |
Alabama |
$2,373,850,787 |
5,074,296 |
$468 |
|
15 |
Wyoming |
$268,078,403 |
581,381 |
$461 |
|
16 |
Ohio |
$5,243,465,726 |
11,756,058 |
$446 |
|
17 |
Michigan |
$4,052,091,681 |
10,034,113 |
$404 |
|
18 |
Washington |
$2,972,389,009 |
7,785,786 |
$382 |
|
19 |
Kansas |
$1,118,612,169 |
2,937,150 |
$381 |
|
20 |
Pennsylvania |
$4,904,703,760 |
12,972,008 |
$378 |
|
21 |
Iowa |
$1,198,832,749 |
3,200,517 |
$375 |
|
22 |
Oklahoma |
$1,503,752,134 |
4,019,800 |
$374 |
|
23 |
New Hampshire |
$501,737,785 |
1,395,231 |
$360 |
|
24 |
Georgia |
$3,809,371,686 |
10,912,876 |
$349 |
|
25 |
South Carolina |
$1,836,182,988 |
5,282,634 |
$348 |
|
26 |
Wisconsin |
$2,040,658,994 |
5,892,539 |
$346 |
|
27 |
New York |
$6,798,356,500 |
19,677,151 |
$345 |
|
28 |
Nebraska |
$671,577,797 |
1,967,923 |
$341 |
|
29 |
Vermont |
$212,211,475 |
647,064 |
$328 |
|
30 |
Nevada |
$1,022,473,032 |
3,177,772 |
$322 |
|
31 |
Massachusetts |
$2,172,800,006 |
6,981,974 |
$311 |
|
32 |
Alaska |
$226,700,385 |
733,583 |
$309 |
|
33 |
South Dakota |
$277,057,763 |
909,824 |
$305 |
|
34 |
Colorado |
$1,710,138,091 |
5,839,926 |
$293 |
|
35 |
New Jersey |
$2,701,597,303 |
9,261,699 |
$292 |
|
36 |
Oregon |
$1,194,354,681 |
4,240,137 |
$282 |
|
37 |
New Mexico |
$595,225,947 |
2,113,344 |
$282 |
|
38 |
Virginia |
$2,267,730,242 |
8,683,619 |
$261 |
|
39 |
Delaware |
$261,607,430 |
1,018,396 |
$257 |
|
40 |
California |
$9,951,025,118 |
39,029,342 |
$255 |
|
41 |
Illinois |
$3,200,037,741 |
12,582,032 |
$254 |
|
42 |
Maryland |
$1,545,773,980 |
6,164,660 |
$251 |
|
43 |
Florida |
$5,371,434,832 |
22,244,823 |
$241 |
|
44 |
Indiana |
$1,645,380,370 |
6,833,037 |
$241 |
|
45 |
Rhode Island |
$259,583,443 |
1,093,734 |
$237 |
|
46 |
Hawaii |
$331,796,743 |
1,440,196 |
$230 |
|
47 |
Arizona |
$1,498,567,035 |
7,359,197 |
$204 |
|
48 |
Connecticut |
$671,367,574 |
3,626,205 |
$185 |
|
49 |
Maine |
$133,053,466 |
1,385,340 |
$96 |