Re: welcome to e-discussion: Problems in choice of brand name

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Hi, Thank you Chetna madam for link to the FDA website.It contains a lot of information regarding confusing drugs, problems faced and suggestive measures. Our netrumians would definitely like to search for similar incidences in Indian hospitals, at pharmacies and report. Anupama.Chetna Desai <chetna99@...> wrote: Dear Anupama Its a nice start, lucid and open..we can take over with ease. To begin with I found this link about drug names useful.. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2005/405_confusion.html More on medication errors due to confusing names we progress. Best luck Chetna On 11/07/07, anupama sukhlecha <anupama_acad (DOT) co.in> wrote: Good morning! As a moderator of the topic "Problems in choice of brand name", in relation to medicines, I welcome all of you for valuable inputs on this topic from 11 th to 20th July. Background: Medication errors harm at least 1.5 million people every year. Out of all medication errors, more than 10% are just due to similar names of drugs. HOMOPHONES are the term for words which sound similar. When a pharmaceutical company decides the name of a drug, many factors have to be taken into account. You can pick up those factors and explain why they are needed. For those who need starting tips, you can start by searching these points and add more to the

list: Magnitude of the problem There are a large numbers of drugs available in the market which sound alike, spell alike or even look alike. Prefix and suffix problems in drug names Same prescriptions used across the world. Anecdotes where such confusion has caused problems or even medical disasters. Searching in CIMS or MIMS… for the confusing drugs Personal visit to a nearby pharmacy and finding those drugs (during non-rush hour, say 2-4 PM or 8-10 PM)- for PG students Suggestions and remedial measures and how they can help in rational drug

use. Shakespeare had once said: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet" What if the same was applied to medicines…? So, get going and best of luck! Anupama. Download prohibited? No problem. CHAT from any browser, without download. -- Dr Chetna Desai

Download prohibited? No problem. CHAT from any browser, without download.