Similar drug names, a threat to patients

Hyderabad: The confusion caused by look-alike and sound-alike (LASA) drugs has resulted in medication errors, leading to harm to patients and causing death. This has made the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGF) ask for an amendment to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act to regulate brand names of pharmaceutical products.

According to the proposed amendment, the manufacturer will have to produce proof that the same or similar brand name and trade name does not exist in the market.

Pharmacologists have a list of only 110 LASA medicines which was compiled to prevent harm to patients and has been recommended as a reference list for the pharmacology department. The other list available with the DCGI is that of essential medicines which was recently compiled for non-communicable diseases.

Dr C.H.L. Achary, pharmacologist, said eliminating LASA names was a huge task and would require a lot of co-operation from the manufacturers. “This will require that manufacturers check the trade and brand names in the market and then ensure that their brand name does not fall in the LASA category,” Dr Achary said.

“This is easier said than done as the drug list is very big. The LASA list is very small as it is compiled from the adverse effects that were noted. To get the list complied will require a lot of work and tabulation from different departments in the private and public sector,” he said.

For the DCGI to take up the work would require mapping the central formulary and at the same time, not allow new brands to name products in the LASA category. This would require co-ordination with the departments at the central and state levels.

Dr P. Chilukuri, senior pharmacist, explained, “It is important for pharmaceutical companies to establish a separate body that can name new molecules. They will then have the data and the right resources to cross-check and verify.” He said that on top of the large number of brand names, there was also the category of generic names and alternative medications which also have names similar to modern medicine.

“Huge data will have to be put up and made accessible to qualified pharmacists,” Dr Chilukuri said.

The science behind branding medicines has improved only recently as the name of the molecule or the disease is considered.

The brand names earlier were not based on these considerations hence there are too many in the market which have no link to the disease or therapeutic value, explained pharmacists. This irrational naming practice followed earlier has created a lot of confusion in healthcare professionals and also patients.