Republished November 14, 2024
Medicines all have one generic name and perhaps one or more brand names. The brand name is chosen by the drug company. The generic name is assigned by an official body, the United States Adopted Names (USAN) Council. You probably know, for example, that Advil and Motrin are brand names for the generic medicine ibuprofen. Knowing that Advil, Motrin, and ibuprofen are all the same medicine alerts you to an important risk—that taking these medicines together could add up to an overdose.
Sometimes, having different names for the same medicine has caused mistakes. One man accidentally took too much bupropion that sent him to the hospital with a seizure. This medicine was prescribed for this man to treat depression. He knew it by the brand name Wellbutrin and had been taking it for years. Six weeks before the seizure, his doctor gave him new prescriptions for all his medicines. This time, the doctor prescribed the anti-depression medicine by its generic name, bupropion. Not knowing they were the same medicine, the man mistakenly took both his new prescription for bupropion and his old prescription for Wellbutrin which contributed to him having a seizure. Luckily, a medical student in the hospital discovered the problem when he looked up the generic names of all the medicines the man was taking. After a day in the hospital, the man was able to go home.
The best way to prevent these errors is to know your medicine’s brand and generic names. Remember, the generic name will always be the same, even if your medicine has several different brand names. Keep a record of all the medicines you take. On a form, list the generic name (and the brand name, if it is not a generic medicine) of all your medicines, why you take them, how much you take, and how often you take them. Give that form to your doctors every time you visit them. Also, while you may need to visit several different doctors, always try to fill your prescriptions at the same pharmacy. This way, your pharmacist will be able to tell if one of your doctors prescribed a medicine you’re already taking.
