Drugs with the Same or Similar Names Pose Dangers: FDA Advisory
Drugs with identical brand names may contain completely different chemicals -- and treat completely different illnesses -- depending on the country in which they are sold, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has issued an advisory that although a registry of drug names is maintained in the U.S., and proposed new drug names are compared against it, no organization provides such a safeguard internationally. As a result, drugs like Flomax, if bought from a U.S. pharmacy, will always treat an enlarged prostate. Buy Flomax at a pharmacy in Italy, however, and you'll get a pain reliever.
The FDA has identified 18 drugs that have identical brand names, but are actually completely different products from country to country. Similarly, the agency has identified 105 drugs with names that are spelled so similarly or sound so much alike, you could inadvertently get the wrong one in many international pharmacies. For instance, if you're vacationing in the U.K. and request a refill of your Ambien sleeping medication, you may get their Ambyen -- a drug to treat irregular heart rhythms, which can kill you if your heart doesn't require it. (In the U.S., that heart drug is marketed as Cordarone; the generic is called amiodarone.) If you're traveling internationally, language barriers may make the communication of similar-sounding drug names an even bigger problem.
The inconsistencies are also potentially dangerous to U.S. citizens who purchase their prescription drugs illegally from other countries, often over the Internet -- a temptation for many, because U.S. enforcement of drug importation laws is low, many foreign drugs are less expensive.
The agency urges caution in any international situation that could put you at risk of receiving an incorrect medication.
Previously on the D.C. Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog, we have posted related articles on:
- Safe ways to buy prescription drugs online
- Being an educated patient and reducing drug errors
- Low reporting rates of nursing home medication mix-ups
- Potential dangers of pill-splitting
- 20 tips to reduce medication errors in children