Posted by Sarah T. on September 16, 2005, at 22:42:40
There are so many drugs that have similar sounding names. Those similar-sounding names combined with doctors' poor handwriting and overworked, fatigued pharmacists (some pharmacists here work 12-hour shifts) is a recipe for disaster. I think that there should be an international organization for naming drugs, just as there is such an organization for chemistry and chemists (IUPAC). Drug naming should not be left to the pharmaceutical companies, who are only interested in profits. Just tonight I was researching something for a friend on Cephalexin or Keflex, an antibiotic. I thought that Cephalexin and some of the other names for the drug sounded a lot like Celexa/Cipralex/Lexapro. This has the potential to confuse patients, pharmacists and the various medical professionals who might be involved in the prescription process.
I wonder whether the FDA has any say in the naming of drugs, or is it left entirely up to the individual drug companies?
Any thoughts?
poster:Sarah T.
thread:555895
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050914/msgs/555895.html