Final answer:
The generic name for ProAir, Ventoline, and Proventil is albuterol, used to treat bronchospasm in asthma and COPD by relaxing airway muscles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The generic name for ProAir, Ventoline and Proventil is albuterol. These brand-name drugs contain the same active ingredient, albuterol, which is a short-acting beta2-adrenergic receptor agonist (SABA). Albuterol is used to treat or prevent bronchospasm in patients with reversible obstructive airway diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Taking the form of an inhaled medication, it works by relaxing the muscles in the airways and increasing air flow to the lungs. Albuterol is synthesized from norepinephrine and initially yields a very impure product that must undergo several steps of purification to achieve the necessary drug-quality purity for medical use.