The combination was approved for medical use in the United States in 2001.[2] It is available as a generic medication in the United Kingdom.[1] A month supply costs the UK's NHS £29.70 as of 2020.[1] In the United States the wholesale cost of this amount is about US$468.78.[5] In 2017, it was the 177th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than three million prescriptions.[6][7] Lawsuits were filed in the US against Merck alleging it concealed health risks associated with the product.[8] These were settled for $100 million in 2014.[9]