Newswise — In "What's in a Drug Name?" (Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, January/February 2004), pharmacist Jeanette Y. Wick explores the complex considerations that enter into the naming of brand-name and generic medications.

The naming of medications is a fascinating process that takes into account concerns for error reduction, as well as the makers' desire to optimize marketing of their products.

Selected "factoids" from the article:--There are over 33,000 trademarked medication names and 9,000 generic medication names in use in the United States.

--Fifteen percent of all reported medication errors between 1995 and 2000 resulted from some kind of name confusion.

--Generics do not begin with the letters H, J, K or W because these letters do not exist in some of the 130 countries that use United States Adopted Names (USANs), or have different sounds in various languages. (The USAN Council has been determining names for generics since 1961. The Council includes representatives from the American Pharmacists Association, American Medical Association, and the United States Pharmacopeial Convention.)

--There is a moratorium on the use of X and Z as lead letters in generic names because X and Z often sound alike at the start of words.

--USAN avoids prefixes and stems like brev, vel, mal, or mor because these stems imply other things (brevity, velocity, bad, or death, respectively).

--The behind-the-scenes process of developing a unique brand name is estimated to cost $2.25 million.

--FDA prohibits brand names associated with the product's intended indication (intended use) and will not approve names that imply efficiency. Simply put, the name shouldn't mean anything.

--Marketers look for names that subtly and indirectly imply improved quality of life.

--Letters like P, T, D, K, Q and hard C, known as "plosives," sound strong or forceful.

--Letters like X and Z sound fast (e.g., Ex-Lax)

--Qs, without an accompanying u, seem to be making a debut.

--Marketers like the soft C, X, and L letters for lifestyle products.

--Viagra suggests vitality and rhymes with Niagara (connoting force and endurance).

--Cialis, a recently approved erectile dysfunction (ED) drug, is the name of a yacht in the America's Cup race. Derived from the French word for sky (ciel), and associated with yacht racing, the name implies the sky's the limit. (The manufacturer now sponsors the race.)

--Levitra (another new medication for ED), includes the French le (the) sound, connoting European elegance and the vitra, suggesting life.

The American Pharmacists Association is dedicated to improving medication use and advancing patient care. Founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, APhA is the first-established and largest professional association of pharmacists in the United States. Our more than 50,000 members include pharmacists, scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and others interested in advancing the profession.

APhA's World Wide Web Site: http://www.aphanet.org APhA's Consumer Web Site: http://www.pharmacyandyou.orgAPhA Resources for Pharmacy Professionals: http://www.pharmacist.com

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CITATIONS

Journal of The American Pharmacists Association (Jan/Feb-2004)