According to the Indianapolis Business Journal, Americans spent more last year on drugs than any of the previous four years.

According to the article,

Spending on pharmaceuticals in the United States rose more in 2009 than in the previous three years, driven by a 9.2-percent increase in branded-drug prices and a jump in children treated for chronic conditions.

The amount paid for drugs increased 3.7 percent, compared with 3.3 percent in 2008, according to a report Wednesday from Medco Health Solutions Inc., the largest pharmacy benefits manager by revenue. Branded-drug prices increased each year since 2005, when they rose 6.3 percent, Medco said.

Spending for treatments used by children up to age 19 grew four times faster than the overall population, Medco said. One in four insured children with chronic conditions, led by diabetes and attention deficit disorder, is taking drugs, such as Eli Lilly and Co.’s schizophrenia drug Zyprexa, once prescribed only for adults.

It is amazing to me that even though we are in a recession, drug prices are still rising and people are still forced to pay the inflated price. If you need to refill your prescription of Abilify or Zyrtec, do it here and save your hard earned money.