Ask the doctor

Are Lipitor and Crestor equally good for me?

Q. I have been taking Crestor (10 mg) for several years. Now my insurance company tells me it is dropping Crestor from its preferred drug list and suggests I replace it with Lipitor. Will this be okay?

A. Both Crestor (rosuvastatin) and Lipitor (atorvastatin) are brand-name statins; neither is yet available as a generic. There are generic statins available such as simvastatin, pravastatin, and lovastatin; these are generally cheaper than the brand-name statins.