More than one billion prescriptions are filled with generic medicines every year. In 2005, generic medicines were used to fill 56% of all prescriptions dispensed. The generic industry was expected to grow by roughly 13% in 2006. During the next five years patents will expire on more than 100 drugs representing total sales of $65 billion. Sales of generic pharmaceuticals have increased in recent years because of a number of factors, including: increased number of formerly patented drugs which have become available to generic competition; changes in governmental and third-party payor health care reimbursement policies to encourage cost containment; increased acceptance of generic drugs by physicians, pharmacists and consumers; modification of state and federal laws to permit or require substitution of generic drugs by pharmacists; and enactment of ANDA procedures for obtaining FDA approval to manufacture generic prescription drugs. Competition in the generic drug industry has also increased due to the proliferation of authorized generics, which occurs when manufacturers of brand name drugs and/or their affiliates introduce generic pharmaceutical products equivalent to their brand name drugs at relatively lower prices or partner with generic companies to introduce generic products. Knowledge Source's Generic Pharmaceuticals Market Overview identifies the major trends that are affecting generic drug manufacturers in an increasingly competitive environment. Knowledge Source's Market Overview, 230 pages in length, also identifies and provides brief profiles on more than 30 of the leading generic manufacturers which include (when available): company background, company strategy, product information, financial information, and recent activities.