USP says thousands of drug names look or sound alike

Abstract

More than 3170 pairs of U.S.-approved generic and brand drug names look or sound enough alike that health care workers have mixed up those medications, according to new research from the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). The research, based on more than 26,000 records in two USP-associated medication-error reporting programs for 2003–06, also found that patients might have been harmed by 1.4% of the mistakes attributed to look-alike or sound-alike drug names. Seven of the mistakes might have contributed to or resulted in death (see the table1). Given that the programs involve the voluntary reporting of mistakes, the number of mix-ups is “probably understated at best,” said USP Vice President Diane D. Cousins in a January 29 media briefing. The vast majority of the records, 26,092, came from more than 670 health care facilities participating in USP’s Medmarx program, according to the data report produced by USP. Another 512 records came from the medication-errors reporting program run by USP and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP).