Each French person consumes around 41 boxes of medicine per year.
Each French person consumes 41 boxes of medicine per year, informs the National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM) in a press release dated November 14. And almost 10 boxes per month over 80 years old. In total, the CNAM reimburses 25 billion euros worth of medicines each year. Among the most reimbursed medications in France: the oral anticoagulant Eliquis®, Vyndaqel® (a nervous system medication) and Eylea® indicated for eye pathologies such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). ) or diabetic macular edema.
In this press release, the CNAM lists the twenty most prescribed medications in France. At the bottom of the ranking we find the beta blocker Bisoprolol®, Spasfon®, Atorvastatin®, the antibiotic Amoxicillin®, Methadone®, Ventolin®, Eliquis®, Macrogol® and Zymad® against deficiency in vitamin D. Kardégic®, with 26.7 million boxes reimbursed over the year, occupies fourth position in this ranking and is widely prescribed by doctors as a reference antithrombotic.
In third place among the most prescribed medications, Levothyrox®, a flagship drug for the treatment of thyroid disorders. 31 million boxes are sold each year for a reimbursed amount of 37 million euros. The drug is prescribed to nearly 3 million French people. Just above, in second position, the painkiller Dafalgan® based on paracetamol. 71 million boxes were issued on prescription in 2023, especially among those over 60. And on the first step of the ranking, Doliprane®. It is the most prescribed drug in France: 308 million boxes were prescribed in 2023 to 36 million patients whose average age was 45 years. The delivery of Doliprane® on prescription cost the CNAM 265 million euros over the year.
The active substance in Doliprane is paracetamol. Paracetamol is present in many medications, alone or combined with other active substances. “In case of overdose, paracetamol can cause serious irreversible liver damage” warns the Medicines Agency on its site. This overdose can occur either because of too large a dose per dose or per day or because of a minimum time between doses not respected (4 to 6 hours in this case). “Misuse of paracetamol is the leading cause of drug-induced liver transplants in France” continues the agency. Paracetamol should be taken at “the lowest dose, for the shortest possible time”. Certain populations are more at risk of liver damage: those weighing less than 50 kilos, those suffering from mild to moderate liver failure, severe kidney failure and chronic alcoholism.
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