41 - Drug Nomenclature

Abstract

Most products available on the market are nowadays identified by a trade name. This is also true in the pharmaceutical field. The existence of an international nomenclature for pharmaceutical substances, in the form of International Nonproprietary Names for pharmaceutical substances (INNs), has proved since 1950 to be important for the safe prescription and dispensing of medicines to patients, and for communication and exchange of information among health professionals worldwide. INNs identify pharmaceutical substances by unique names that are globally recognized and are public property. Nonproprietary names, also called generic or common names, are intended to be used as public property without restraint, i.e., nobody should own any rights on their usage. These names are usually designated by national or international nomenclature commissions. Both trade names and nonproprietary names are normally published first in the form of proposals. Although both nonproprietary names and trade names may appear similar in form to an outsider, there is, in fact, a big difference. First, nonproprietary names are designations to identify the active pharmaceutical drug substance rather than the final product. Second, the selection of a nonproprietary name follows established rules so that the name itself communicates to the medical and pharmaceutical health professional, to which therapeutic or pharmacological group the active drug substance belongs.