Identification of Confusing Medicine Proprietary Names: Toward Safe Medicine Use-A Cross-Sectional Study in Sri Lanka.
Brand name
Look alike
National medicines regulatory authority
Orthographic
Phonetic
Sound alike
Journal
Therapeutic innovation & regulatory science
ISSN: 2168-4804
Titre abrégé: Ther Innov Regul Sci
Pays: Switzerland
ID NLM: 101597411
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
11 2023
11 2023
Historique:
received:
06
01
2023
accepted:
24
07
2023
medline:
23
10
2023
pubmed:
18
8
2023
entrez:
17
8
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Look-alike sound-alike (LASA) medications have similar pronunciation (phonetic) and/or manifestation (orthographic), which could create confusion among users and challenge the safe use of medicines. The availability of foreign products in local markets aggravates the situation. This study was designed to examine the registered medicine proprietary names in Sri Lanka to discern the presence of similar medicine names in the industry. A cross-sectional study was conducted on the registered drug proprietary names in Sri Lanka. Using the RAND and RANK functions in Microsoft® excel® 365, a random sample of 385 proprietary names was selected. Two evaluators independently evaluated each proprietary name in the sample against the other registered proprietary names following a stepwise text filtering method. After each filter, the resulting proprietary names were manually examined for identical, similar-looking, and similar-sounding proprietary names to the name under evaluation. The observations were matched, categorized, and collated into ten groups. Among the 385 names evaluated, 138 (35.84%) proprietary names had no similarity to existing other registered proprietary names. The rest of the names (n = 247, 64.15%) were found to be either identical (n = 03 pairs), look-alike (n = 91 pairs), or sound-alike (n = 80 pairs) to the registered proprietary names. The findings revealed the presence of equal and similar proprietary names in the system. A multifactorial strategy led by the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA) is recommended to minimize the confusing names entering the system. Primarily the NMRA's call for action should include adequate industry guidance with specific guidelines, a significant pre-submission assessment process, and denying approval of LASA proprietary names.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Look-alike sound-alike (LASA) medications have similar pronunciation (phonetic) and/or manifestation (orthographic), which could create confusion among users and challenge the safe use of medicines. The availability of foreign products in local markets aggravates the situation. This study was designed to examine the registered medicine proprietary names in Sri Lanka to discern the presence of similar medicine names in the industry.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted on the registered drug proprietary names in Sri Lanka. Using the RAND and RANK functions in Microsoft® excel® 365, a random sample of 385 proprietary names was selected. Two evaluators independently evaluated each proprietary name in the sample against the other registered proprietary names following a stepwise text filtering method. After each filter, the resulting proprietary names were manually examined for identical, similar-looking, and similar-sounding proprietary names to the name under evaluation. The observations were matched, categorized, and collated into ten groups.
RESULTS
Among the 385 names evaluated, 138 (35.84%) proprietary names had no similarity to existing other registered proprietary names. The rest of the names (n = 247, 64.15%) were found to be either identical (n = 03 pairs), look-alike (n = 91 pairs), or sound-alike (n = 80 pairs) to the registered proprietary names.
CONCLUSION
The findings revealed the presence of equal and similar proprietary names in the system. A multifactorial strategy led by the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA) is recommended to minimize the confusing names entering the system. Primarily the NMRA's call for action should include adequate industry guidance with specific guidelines, a significant pre-submission assessment process, and denying approval of LASA proprietary names.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37592154
doi: 10.1007/s43441-023-00557-7
pii: 10.1007/s43441-023-00557-7
doi:
Substances chimiques
lipid-associated sialic acid
0
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
1248-1259Informations de copyright
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Drug Information Association, Inc.
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