When the patent of a brand name medication expires, a generic version of the drug can be produced and sold. Generic versions of a drug must use the same active ingredients as the brand name drug, and it must meet the same quality and safety standards.
Before approving a generic drug, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires tests and procedures to assure that the generic drug can be substituted for the brand name drug.
Because of the patent process, medications that have been on the market for less than 17 years do not have a generic equivalent being sold. Your doctor, however, may prescribe a similar medication to treat your condition that does have an available generic equivalent.
For example, if you are taking Lipitor (Atorvastatin), which is still on patent protection, for high cholesterol , your doctor can switch you to simvastatin, the generic version of Zocor.
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