Namenda...*

Alzheimer's medication Namenda is due to go generic next year. Forest Laboratories plans to stop the sale of the current version at least six months before a less expensive, generic product could become available.

The company is telling doctors to transition patients to a Newer Form, not a New Drug, one that has additional patent protection and is unlikely to go generic for years.

The purpose is "to get patients over to this new product as fast as possible," said David Maris, a stock analyst with BMO Capital Markets who covers pharmaceuticals. Thus, when the patent ends on the old product, "patients are already on the new product and there's no existing product left."

The retail price of Namenda is more than $300 a month. When generic companies compete, the price of a drug usually drops to $30. 

"The reason drug companies do these forced switches is that the switches are sticky. 
This  is denying the patient the medication, reasonable price, after the patent of 20 years expired.

First: Since the company can't, or wouldn't produce the Namenda, the generic company should be allowed to start marketing the generic 9 month earlier.

Second: The regular Namenda should be placed over the counter by the approval of the pharmacist. If the patient has been on it, no prescriptions is necessary for 9 months.

Third: Allow free importation of this medication from other countries by Walmart, CVS and the like for 9 months.                      Just a thought.