Adoption of Generic Lipitor Drives Down Healthcare Costs

Atorvastatin calcium, marketed as Lipitor, was a blockbuster drug whose generic version became available in the U.S. in November 2011. To describe usage and cost trends for Lipitor and generic atorvastatin, investigators analyzed data from 75,174 respondents (mean age, 47; 52% women) to the longitudinal Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Participants self-reported medication names, out-of-pocket costs, and payment sources; pharmacies reported on usage and expenditures.

From 2012 to 2014, overall use of atorvastatin increased from 12.5 million to 15.0 million adults (from 5.3% to 6.2% of the population), reflecting a decline in use of brand-name Lipitor from 3.9 million to 0.7 million adults and a rise in use of generic atorvastatin from 8.6 m…