Last year, sales of prescription drugs in the US jumped 5.1% from last year largely due to an increased demand for cancer and depression drugs.

Eli Lilly saw higher sales for antidepressant medication Cymbalta and tumor fighting drugs like Roche Holding AG’s Avastin helped to raise the pharmaceutical industries revenue to $300.3 billion.

“In 2009, demand for pharmaceuticals proved stronger than in the prior two years, yet remained at historically low levels,” Murray Aitken, a senior vice president at IMS, said in the statement. “The greater availability of generic options, growing differentials in co-pays between brands and generics, and efforts by patients, insurers and employers to encourage appropriate use of lower-cost alternatives were all factors.”

Antipsychotics like Zyprexa and Abilify continue to be the top selling class of medications, selling $14.6 billion.

According to Business Week, “generic products now make up 75 percent of all prescriptions dispensed in the U.S., up from 57 percent in 2004, IMS said. Last year, the number of generic prescriptions dispensed rose 5.9 percent, while branded drugs fell 7.6 percent.”

Antipsychotic medications are more prevalent now than ever since there introduction in the 1950′s. These medications are used to reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia and give those who suffer from the illness back their lives. The only problem is that like with all drugs, antipsychotic’s can be very costly.

The most popular antipsychotic’s are risperidone (Risperdal), aripiprazole (Abilify), quetiapine (Seroquel), and olanzapine (Zyprexa). Paying for these medications out of pockets can cost anywhere from $300 to $500 dollars for 90 pills. Luckily, you can get them here for much cheaper.

Risperdal 1mg 100 pills for $46.00
Abilify 5mg 100 pills for $64.00
Seroquel 25mg 100 pills for $54.00
Zyprexa 5mg 100 pills for $61.56

Although Freebee Foreign Pharmacies prices on all antipsychotic drugs are drastically cheaper than anywhere online, the cheapest popular brand is Seroquel. Remember, cheapest is not  necessarily the best, as each different type of medication affects patients differently. Your doctor will be able to work and figure out which medication is right for you.

No matter which medication you use, there is absolutely no reason why you should be paying the outrageous, inflated prices out of pocket for from your local pharmacy. Join Freebee Foreign Pharmacy today.

Amy Porter at the Vitesis blog says she did “a search of offshore chemical synthesizers that supply the active ingredients found in drugs approved by the FDA.” Based on this research, she was able to compare the actual cost of a drug’s active ingredients with the average price charged to U.S. consumers.

Below is a summary of her findings. Prepare to be blown away –

Celebrex 100 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.60
Percent markup: 21,712%

Claritin 10 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71
Percent markup: 30,306%

Keflex 250 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $157.39
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.88
Percent markup: 8,372%

Lipitor 20 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $272.37
Cost of general active ingredients: $5.80
Percent markup: 4,696%

Norvasc 10 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $188.29
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.14
Percent markup: 134,493%

Paxil 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $220.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $7.60
Percent markup: 2,898%

Prevacid 30 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $44..77
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01
Percent markup: 34,136%

Prilosec 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97
Cost of general active ingredients $0.52
Percent markup: 69,417%

Prozac 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11
Percent markup: 224,973%

Tenormin 50 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $104.47
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.13
Percent markup: 80,362%

Vasotec 10 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $102.37
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.20
Percent markup: 51,185%

Xanax 1 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024
Percent markup: 569,958%

Zestril 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) $89.89
Cost of general active ingredients $3.20
Percent markup: 2,809%

Zithromax 600 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $1,482.19
Cost of general active ingredients: $18.78
Percent markup: 7,892%

Zocor 40 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $350.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $8.63
Percent markup: 4,059%

Zoloft 50 mg
Consumer price: $206.87
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.75
Percent markup: 11,821%

I came across a press release this morning that offered some alarming stats about the use and costs of prescription drugs in the United States. A few key numbers:

• Every year more than 3.6 billion prescriptions are sold in the United States — an average of more than 12 prescriptions per person!
• More than 50 million Americans are without health care or prescription drug benefits and must pay full retail prices for their prescription drugs.
• These prices continue to spiral upward at a rate of more than 7.5% per year.
• From 1994 to 2006, drug costs soared from an average of $28.67 per prescription to $68.26 — almost triple the annual inflation rate.
• Annual U.S. prescription drug spending is projected to increase from about $200 billion today to nearly $500 billion in 2016!

Wow, that’s scary stuff. And with all the current economic problems on President Obama’s agenda, it is questionable whether he will have the time (and money) to address the crisis of rising healthcare costs gripping America.

Until we have across-the-board reform that makes prescription drugs affordable for all Americans, the single best solution for high drug costs is the Freebee solution — to comparison shop online and purchase your medications from licensed foreign pharmacies in Canada and other Tier One countries.

So, what are you waiting for? Join Freebee Foreign Pharmacy today!