Why are some medications not available in generic form?
When a new medication is first developed, the company who developed it is granted patent protection on the formulation for a certain period of time. After this patent period expires, other manufacturers are able to reproduce the medication and submit for approval through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA performs a rigorous, multi-step approval process to ensure that the generic form is equal to the brand name in dosage, strength, performance, and use. If the medication you have been prescribed is still under the patent protection granted to the original manufacturer, it may not yet be available in generic form.
