At first, Bayer sold the drug through doctors, who then sold it to their patients. In 1915, the company started to sell aspirin in drugstores. In the United States,Bayer had a patent on the drug. Other companies couls make similar products and sell them in other countries, but only Bayer could make and sell aspirin in the United States. In time, Bayer could no longer own the name aspirin in the United States. Other companies could make it ther, too. However,Bayer aspirin was the most well known, an for many years, it was the market leader.