When we get a box of medicine, everyone may take out the tablets in the first place and throw the medicine box and instructions into the garbage can. In fact, this is very undesirable.
Dr. Clove has taught you how to read the four key points in the drug instructions. Today we will teach you how to read the name of the drug on the drug packaging box.
Drug names are divided into [generic name] and [trade name]
[generic name] refers to the generic name of drugs with the same ingredient or formula in China, such as metformin hydrochloride, atorvastatin calcium, etc. Any drug has a generic name, which represents the name of the drug with effective ingredients for treating diseases.
[Trade name] refers to the manufacturer registering a trade name for its own products to distinguish it from the same drug produced by other enterprises. [Trade name] represents the manufacturer. For example, the trade names of atorvastatin calcium (generic name) include [Lipitor], [A Le] and [Sanlotine].
This indicates that atorvastatin calcium is produced by several manufacturers, The generic name is the same, but the generic name cannot distinguish which one produces the product. For convenience, each manufacturer has put a specific label on its own products, i.e. A trade name or a [nickname], which is convenient for circulation and sale. After all, Lipitor is easier for consumers to remember than atorvastatin calcium.
Article 17 of the State < < Prescription Management Measures > > (Decree No.53 of the Ministry of Health) stipulates that doctors should use the generic name of drugs when issuing prescriptions. Therefore, we should keep in mind the generic name of drugs when purchasing drugs. As long as the generic name of drugs is consistent with the doctor’s prescription, it means that this is the variety we need to purchase.
What needs to be emphasized is that when we purchase drugs, there may be two or more manufacturers (multiple trade names) producing drugs with the same generic name. We can purchase drugs according to personal considerations, such as the acceptance of prices.
The search function of Dr. Clove App can find out which trade names are available according to the generic name, that is, which manufacturers are producing this drug, their respective drug prices and drug instructions. Before buying drugs, it is easy to open the App and check it out to assist you in making drug purchase decisions.
How to distinguish [common name] from [trade name]?
The State stipulates that drug commodity names shall not be written along with common names, their fonts and colors shall not be more prominent and prominent than common names, and their fonts shall not be more than half of the fonts used for common names in terms of single-character area.
That is to say, the name appearing on the packaging box, the big one, is the common name.
The common names are the same, but the dosage forms are different. What should I do?
Most of the time, we will encounter the same common name, but the dosage forms are different. What should we do? The simple method is that whether western medicine is [tablets], [capsules] or [granules], we can safely use it as long as we check that the specifications of the effective ingredients of the medicine are consistent when purchasing it.
However, dosage forms have an impact on the absorption and catabolism of drugs, and it is suggested to choose different dosage forms according to individual medication habits. In addition, the prices of some dosage forms vary greatly.
Responsible Editor: Ji Lingyan