Final answer:
A company owning a patent on a prescription medication means they have exclusive rights to manufacture, use, or sell it for a certain number of years. In this case, the company has six more years of protection.
Step-by-step explanation:
A company owning a patent on a prescription medication means that they have exclusive rights granted by the government to manufacture, use, or sell that medication for a certain number of years. In this case, the company has six more years of protection on their patent. This means that for the next six years, no other company can legally manufacture, use, or sell the same medication unless the patent holder grants permission. This protection allows the company to earn monopoly profits on their product, providing an incentive for research and development.