Name Brand Drugs Generic Alternative
Drug Nomenclature
When a drug is manufactured it is assigned three different names – Chemical name, Generic name, and Trade name. To have detailed understanding of the drug nomenclature, let’s have a look on these names individually.
Chemical Name
Every drug is a result of a certain chemical formulation. Drugs are compounds of different salts. Based on their formulation, every drug is assigned a chemical name for identification. These chemicals names are based on the salt being used in the drug and the chemical nature of the compounds. Chemical name also provides precise information about the atomic and molecular structure of the drug. For instance: Valium has a chemical name, ‘7-chloro-1,3-dihydro-1-methyl-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one’.
Generic Names
Generic names are usually a short form of the chemical name. Generic names are assigned for easy identification of the drug as chemical names are too complex to remember. Generic names are also called non-proprietary names. Generic names are the official name of the drugs and Drugs are most commonly identified by their generic names in medical studies and pathology. Generic name is assigned by the drug producer after getting an approval for the United States Adopted Name Council. Generic names provide significant information about the drugs characteristics and also about its parent class. For example: Amoxicillin is the generic name of a drug which belongs to the parent class Penicillin.
rade Names
When a drug is to be marketed, the manufacturer assigns a trade name. Trade names are also called Brand names or Proprietary names and are registered trademarks. The manufacturer files a patent in FDA to register its exclusive rights to use the brand name and to market the drug under that brand name. After getting the drug patented, only that company can use the brand name to launch the drug in market. Brand names appear after the generic name of the drug and the initials of the brand name are usually capitalized. For instance: atorvastatin (Lipitor).
A drug can be patented with different brand names, such as Advil, Nuprin, and Motrin for ibuprofen. Brand names also suggest the characteristic of the drug. For instance: Flomax is the brand name of a drug which is sued to cure urine flow problems in men.
Alternative identification method- Code Identifier
Code names are also assigned in addition to the other three names of the drugs for easy referencing. Code name consists of initials of the manufacturer’s name and a unique laboratory serial number given to the drug. For example: RU-486, where RU refers to Roussel-Uclaf (the French pharmaceutical company which manufactured the drug) and 486 is the laboratory serial number of the drug.
Generic Drugs and code identifiers
When the patent for a drug’s brand name expires, the company loses its exclusive rights to use that drug name. Hence, other companies get the freedom to use that particular brand name. Off-patent drugs can be manufactured by any pharmaceutical company and these drugs are called generic drugs. For example: Paracetamol was patented by Sterling Winthrop Co. The drug has become off-patent long ago and is now manufactured and marketed by many companies. The code name in this case remains the same as initially was assigned to the patented drug.
Generic Medicine Names
Drugs may be prescribed for a limited duration, or on a regular basis for chronic disorders. Medicine is just an alternative name for drug. When a drug is first discovered, it is given a chemical name according to its chemical … generic drugs names Government officials, researchers, doctors, and others who write about the new compounds use the drug’s generic name.
The truth about generic drugs
Among people who do not take generics, only 58% say it’s because there isn’t a generic alternative available. Moreover, two-thirds of survey respondents don’t realize that brand-name drugs typically cost 50-70% more than generics.
Are Generic Drugs Safe?
The large difference in price between generic and brand name drugs is the reason most consumers think they are inferior. The main reason for this is that there is little investment of time and money in generic brands.
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