The Current Drivers in Medication Use, Spending

When it comes to current trends in medication spending and use, oncology drugs lead the pack as the most expensive for patients and plan sponsors, with immunology prescriptions falling shortly behind. Despite being much less expensive, medications for diabetes and weight-loss are continuously on the rise as cardiometabolic conditions become more prominent across various populations.

According to Michael Kleinrock, lead director of research at IQVIA, trends in drug use and spending are ever-changing, which is why he and his team at IQVIA have contributed to the Understanding the Use of Medicines in the US 2025 report. He says that the report is so detailed, if you print it out, it can serve as a doorstop.

“This is something we’ve been doing every year,” Kleinrock told Drug Topics.

In part 2 of our interview with Kleinrock, we took a deep dive into the IQVIA report and discussed exactly which medication classes have been taking payers, patients—and pharmacies especially—by storm. In part 1, he shared insights regarding the importance of the report and how there is significant value in differentiating drug use from drug spending.

For more on the trends of oncology, immunology, weight-loss, biosimilar, and so many more drug classes, watch the video with Kleinrock, learn about the current drivers of drug spending, and get a sneak peek of where these trends may be headed beyond 2025.

READ MORE: Drug Expenditures Must Be Addressed for State Spending Targets to Be Useful

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Reference

Understanding the use of medicines in the U.S. 2025. IQVIA. 2025. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.iqvia.com/insights/the-iqvia-institute/reports-and-publications/reports/understanding-the-use-of-medicines-in-the-us-2025