Even if your medication isn’t available in a generic version yet, there might be a closely related generic drug that works just as well. If you’re currently on a brand-name medication, it’s worth asking your doctor if there’s a generic equivalent that can effectively manage your condition. Typically, brand-name drugs are covered by patents lasting 10-17 years, preventing the production of generics during that time. This allows manufacturers to set higher prices to recover their substantial research and development costs. Many doctors will consider prescribing a generic version of a therapeutic alternative to save time and money while ensuring patient care. Therapeutic equivalents are essentially the generic counterpart of the brand-name drugs that address the same condition but use different ingredients. In most situations, these alternatives are equally effective.