Healthcare Insights
Top 20 most prescribed anti-anxiety drugs
Anxiety impacts millions of people each year and is one of the most common mental health diagnoses in the United States. Treatments for anxiety disorders can include therapy, medication, complementary and alternative treatment, and transcranial magnetic stimulation.
The following list contains the top 20 drugs prescribed for anxiety in 2022, based on the Definitive Healthcare Atlas Prescription claims data.
Top 20 anti-anxiety drugs prescribed in 2022
| Rank | Drug name | % share of anti-anxiety drugs prescribed in U.S. | Explore dataset |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabapentin | 17.6% | Explore |
| 2 | Trazodone hydrochloride | 9.5% | Explore |
| 3 | Bupropion XL | 7.8% | Explore |
| 4 | Alprazolam | 7.3% | Explore |
| 5 | Duloxetine hydrochloride | 7.1% | Explore |
| 6 | Buspirone hydrochloride | 5.6% | Explore |
| 7 | Clonazepam | 5.3% | Explore |
| 8 | Venlafaxine hydrochloride ER | 4.7% | Explore |
| 9 | Hydroxyzine hydrochloride | 4.7% | Explore |
| 10 | Lorazepam | 4.2% | Explore |
| 11 | Lamotrigine | 4.2% | Explore |
| 12 | Topiramate | 3.1% | Explore |
| 13 | Levetiracetam | 2.5% | Explore |
| 14 | Bupropion hydrochloride SR | 2.1% | Explore |
| 15 | Hydroxyzine pamoate | 1.9% | Explore |
| 16 | Diazepam | 1.9% | Explore |
| 17 | Desvenlafaxine succinate ER | 1.2% | Explore |
| 18 | Oxcarbazepine | 1.2% | Explore |
| 19 | Divalproex sodium | 1.2% | Explore |
| 20 | Divalproex sodium ER | 0.9% | Explore |
Fig. 1 This table illustrates the top 20 anti-anxiety drugs prescribed as a percentage of all anti-anxiety drugs prescribed in 2022. The data was obtained using Definitive Healthcare's Atlas Prescription claims for calendar year 2022.
What are the most common anti-anxiety drugs?
Gabapentin, used for seizure disorders, is the most prescribed anti-anxiety drug on the list accounting for 17.6% of the prescriptions to treat anxiety in 2022. Trazodone hydrochloride, used to treat depression, is second on the list with more than 9.5% of the prescriptions. The next three drugs, Bupropion XL, Alprazolam, and Duloxetine hydrochloride, each represent 7 – 8% of prescriptions. The five aforementioned anti-anxiety drugs collectively account for almost 50% of all prescriptions identified from the Atlas Prescription claims data for 2022.
What are the types of drugs used to treat anxiety?
Drugs approved for treating anxiety include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. However, medications not approved for anxiety are commonly used “off-label” in clinical practice. The different types of drug types used to treat anxiety include:
- Serotonergic/Norepinephrinergic Antidepressants
- Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)
- Antihistamines
- Antipsychotics
- Novel Treatments for Anxiety Disorders
- Serotonergic Agents
- Glutamate Modulators
- GABAergic Medications
- Neuropeptides
- Neurosteroids
- Alpha- and Beta-Adrenergic Agents
- Cannabinoids
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