Doliprane, Dafalgan, Levothyrox… What are the most consumed drugs in France?

Health Insurance has published several figures on drug prescriptions in France. And in particular the list of the best-selling products.

Boxes of medicines by the millions. Paracetamol is the most prescribed molecule in France, by far, and Doliprane alone represents three quarters of its prescriptions. Health Insurance communicated its key figures on Thursday, November 14, notably publishing the list of the best-selling drugs in France over a year. More than 308 million boxes of Doliprane have been sold in the country, according to data as of mid-2024, when Dafalgan comes in second place, with less than 71.6 million.

This report also provides general amounts on the extent of reimbursements for medicines in France: a little more than 25.5 billion euros last year, for an average of 41 boxes and 410 euros for each patient.

The popularity of Doliprane largely explains the excitement caused by the announcement of its future sale by the Sanofi laboratory to an American fund. Behind these two paracetamol-based products come Levothyrox, against hypothyroidism, produced by the German Merck, Kardegic, an anticoagulant from Sanofi, and another paracetamol-based product, Efferalgan, manufactured by Upsa.

The figures revealed by Health Insurance raise other questions, in particular the high amounts which are devoted to the reimbursement of medicines which have hardly demonstrated any major progress compared to what already exists. Certainly, a significant portion of reimbursements concerns very expensive drugs, but which really represent progress: this is the case for several anticancer drugs or Vertex's Kaftrio, which has changed the situation for many patients with cystic fibrosis.

On the other hand, almost a third of the amounts reimbursed correspond to medicines for which the High Authority of Health has concluded that there is only a minor or non-existent “improvement in the medical benefit provided” (ASMR). A case illustrates this situation: that of Eliquis. This anticoagulant marketed jointly by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer is the treatment that costs the community the most: more than 755 million euros reimbursed. However, his ASMR is only “minor”. In this specific case, the situation will not last because generics will arrive on the market, “presaging new economies”according to Medicare.