Brand-name drugs that account for about $30 billion in annual sales are expected to lose patent protection this and next year. Generic prescription drugs are getting a bigger role in many people's health care spending as competition among retailers drives down generic prices and the selection of those drugs becomes more plentiful. Consumers can save 30% to 80% by switching from brand-name drugs to generic versions. The uninsured and those covered by the Medicare prescription drug benefit are expected to benefit most from the wave of new generics.

Wall Street Journal, Badal, (10/22).