Drug Name Mix-Ups Could Be Worsened By Computerized Order Systems - USP
Executive Summary
Pharmaceutical industry stakeholders seeking to prevent medication errors due to look-alike and sound-alike product names should take note of potential name confusion in computerized direct prescription ordering systems, the U.S. Pharmacopeia suggests in a recent report
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USP looks to halt medication mix-ups
A "Drug Error Finder" searchable database of nearly 1,500 commonly used products has been established to avoid look-alike and sound-alike medication errors, the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention announces Aug. 25. The Drug Error Finder generates a list of medications that have been confused with the product name being searched and allows users to see the severity of the reported errors, ranging from Category A for "potential error" to Category I for "death." The public database targets drugs commonly reported for brand or generic name errors in the U.S. since 2003, based on information collected in USP's Medmarx database. FDA efforts to minimize name confusion could also be aided by provisions in the FDA Amendments Act of 2007 and the reauthorization of user fees (1"The Pink Sheet," Feb. 18, 2008, p. 20)
USP looks to halt medication mix-ups
A "Drug Error Finder" searchable database of nearly 1,500 commonly used products has been established to avoid look-alike and sound-alike medication errors, the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention announces Aug. 25. The Drug Error Finder generates a list of medications that have been confused with the product name being searched and allows users to see the severity of the reported errors, ranging from Category A for "potential error" to Category I for "death." The public database targets drugs commonly reported for brand or generic name errors in the U.S. since 2003, based on information collected in USP's Medmarx database. FDA efforts to minimize name confusion could also be aided by provisions in the FDA Amendments Act of 2007 and the reauthorization of user fees (1"The Pink Sheet," Feb. 18, 2008, p. 20)
Brand Names In 2008: Can Industry Pilot Its Way Out Of Trouble?
Industry may shoulder some of the burden of testing proprietary drug names this year under a pilot program included in the renewal of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, but with that may come some clarity in a subjective field that so far has lacked detailed guidance from FDA