Which reference is known for listing FDA-approved medications and their therapeutic equivalents?

The reference known for listing FDA-approved medications and their therapeutic equivalents is the Orange Book. Officially titled the "Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations," the Orange Book provides a comprehensive list of approved drug products and includes significant information about the equivalency of generic medications compared to their brand-name counterparts. This resource is crucial for pharmacy technicians and healthcare professionals in determining if a generic drug can be substituted for a brand-name medication without a loss of efficacy or safety.

While the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is an important reference for drug standards and quality, it does not focus specifically on FDA-approved medications and their therapeutic equivalencies. The "Pink Book" primarily deals with vaccine-preventable diseases and immunizations rather than drug approvals. The Merck Index is a well-known reference for chemical and pharmaceutical information but does not provide FDA approval statuses or therapeutic equivalency information. Thus, the Orange Book stands out as the key resource for understanding the therapeutic equivalence of medications.