The 30 most dispensed medications in Colombia: spending is concentrated on cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases.
Public spending on medicines in Colombia closed 2024 at a historic high: $19.4 billion, according to the most recent Acemi report included in the "Health in Figures" bulletin published in June 2025. Despite this growing investment, user dissatisfaction has also skyrocketed, with a 123% increase in drug-related complaints since August 2024.
But what is this money actually being invested in? Which medications are most commonly dispensed through institutional channels—that is, with public funds—and which ones command the largest sums?
$2.7 trillion of public spending on medicines goes to cancer treatments. Photo: iStock
The bulletin's data clearly reveal that the Colombian health system is directing its largest pharmaceutical expenditure toward chronic, complex, and high-cost diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and immunological and hematological disorders.
According to the report, oncology medications (antineoplastics) account for more than 17% of spending. Drugs such as Pembrolizumab, Nivolumab, Osimertinib, and Bevacizumab lead the list. Diabetes medications follow, representing between 9.3% and 9.6% of the total. Metformin and the combination of Metformin + Empagliflozin are the most commonly used.
Third on the list are immunosuppressants for autoimmune diseases, which include drugs such as Adalimumab, Abatacept, and Mycophenolate Molecule; these represent between 6.4% and 6.6% of spending.
Finally, there are antihemorrhagic and antithrombotic medications focused on the treatment of hemophilia and the prevention of thrombotic events; among these, Factor VIII and Eltrombopag are key agents, as are anticoagulants such as Apixaban and Enoxaparin.
More than 26% of institutional drug spending is concentrated in just 30 products. Photo: Opella
This is the list of the 30 medications on which the most money is spent in Colombia through the health system:
- Empagliflozin – 294,346 units dispensed – Share: 1.7%
- Pembrolizumab – 282,522 units – 1.7%
- Nivolumab – 238,350 units – 1.4%
- Coagulation factor VIII – 234,463 units – 1.4%
- Liraglutide – 213,118 units – 1.3%
- Pertuzumab – 198,393 units – 1.2%
- Dapagliflozin – 185,062 units – 1.1%
- Bevacizumab – 178,838 units – 1.1%
- Enzalutamide – 174,482 units – 1.0%
- Valsartan + Sacubitril – 166,094 units – 1.0%
- Metformin – 152,455 units – 0.9%
- Osimertinib – 145,221 units – 0.9%
- Daratumumab – 137,645 units – 0.8%
- Eltrombopag – 135,913 units – 0.8%
- Apixaban – 133,965 units – 0.8%
- Trastuzumab – 126,324 units – 0.7%
- Enoxaparin – 123,758 units – 0.7%
- Rituximab – 120,601 units – 0.7%
- Ibrutinib – 118,553 units – 0.7%
- Trastuzumab + emtansine – 118,476 units – 0.7%
- Brentuximab vedotin – 115,409 units – 0.7%
- Metformin + Empagliflozin – 114,997 units – 0.7%
- Artificial tears and eye preparations – 110,496 units – 0.7%
- Adalimumab – 108,005 units – 0.6%
- Linagliptin – 105,333 units – 0.6%
- Insulin Glargine – 103,770 units – 0.6%
- Ezetimibe – 100,455 units – 0.6%
- Lenalidomide – 95,962 units – 0.6%
- Denosumab – 94,390 units – 0.6%
- Ruxolitinib – 93,436 units – 0.6%
Together, these 30 medications accounted for 26.6% of the total value of medications sold through the institutional channel in 2023.
Problems with medication delivery are affecting the country's main cities. Photo: Jaiver Nieto. EL TIEMPO
In addition to the volume of units, the report details the therapeutic subgroups that represent the greatest weight in the national budget, which are the following:
- Antineoplastic agents – $2,765,123 million – Share: 16.3%
- Diabetes drugs – $1,622,727 million – 9.6%
- Immunosuppressive agents – $1,119,759 million – 6.6%
- Antihemorrhagics – $628,031 million – 3.7%
- Antithrombotics – $508,408 million – 3.0%
- Renin-angiotensin system agents – $462.186 billion – 2.7%
- Serum lipid reducers – $424,151 million – 2.5%
- Endocrine therapy – $396.799 billion – 2.3%
- Ophthalmologics – $392,946 million – 2.3%
- Antibacterials for systemic use – $323,369 million – 1.9%
These ten therapeutic groups accounted for more than 50% of total spending, and the report highlights that only 15 subgroups account for approximately 60% of the public budget allocated to medicines.
Environment and Health Journalist
eltiempo
