A marketed drug has three names: a chemical name, a generic name, and a brand name. The chemical name describes the chemical composition of the drug. The generic name is used most often in clinical practice and is the safest name to use. A generic name can have more than one trade/brand name. The trade/brand name is the name selected by the manufacturer of the drug. It is usually shorter and easier to remember than the generic name. Generic name drugs begin with lower case letters while brand/trade name drugs begin with a capital letter. Below are examples of drug naming you might be familiar with:
|
Generic |
Brand Name | Drug Class |
|
acetaminophen |
Tylenol |
Analgesics (pain relievers) |
| ibuprofen |
Advil, Cramp End, Dolgesic, Excedrin IB, Genpril, Haltran, Ibren, Ibu, Ibuprin, Ibuprohm, Ibu-Tab, Medipren, Midol IB, Motrin, Nuprin, Pamprin-IB, Q-Profen, Rufen, Trendar |
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) |
|
potassium chloride |
K-Dur |
Potassium supplementation |
| propranolol | Inderal | Beta- blocking agent |
| warfarin | Coumadin | Anticoagulant |
| atorvastatin | Lipitor |
HMG CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statins) |
| digoxin |
Lanoxin |
Positive Inotropic Agent |
Source: NeedyMeds, 2009
