Medicine names
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Summary
10 papers analyzed
These studies suggest that various strategies, including Tall-Man Lettering, software screening, and careful naming conventions, can effectively reduce medication errors and improve patient safety.
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Medicine Names: Addressing Similarity and Safety Concerns
Medicine Name Similarity and Medication Errors
Look-Alike, Sound-Alike (LASA) Medicines
Medicine name similarity is a significant factor contributing to medication errors. Look-Alike, Sound-Alike (LASA) medicines are particularly problematic, as they can be easily confused due to their orthographic and phonetic similarities. This confusion can lead to serious patient safety risks, including incorrect medication dispensing and administration .
Tall-Man Lettering (TML) as an Intervention
One effective intervention to mitigate LASA risks is the use of Tall-Man Lettering (TML). TML employs uppercase letters to highlight the dissimilarities in look-alike drug names, thereby alerting healthcare staff to potential errors. This method is particularly useful for medicine pairs with the highest risk for patient safety.
Methods for Measuring Drug Name Similarity
Levenshtein Distance, Bigram, and Trigram Methods
To prioritize medicine pairs for TML, various computational methods can be employed. The Levenshtein Distance (LD) measures the minimum number of edit operations needed to transform one string into another. Bigram (Bi) and Trigram (Tri) methods measure the frequency of two or three similar sequential strings within a medicine name, respectively. These methods help in identifying and prioritizing medicine pairs that are most likely to be confused.
Automated Screening Tools
Automated tools, such as the Phonetic Orthographic Computer Analysis (POCA) software used by the FDA, can compute similarity scores for medicine names. These tools provide a proactive approach to identifying LASA medicines, supplementing traditional methods that rely on error reports and expert consensus .
The Role of Linguistic Features in Medicine Names
Linguistic Characteristics and Consumer Perception
The linguistic features of medicine names, such as the use of voiced consonants, can significantly influence consumer perceptions. Studies have shown that voiced consonants in brand names can enhance the perceived potency and efficacy of medicines. This effect underscores the importance of considering phonetic elements in the naming process to ensure that names are not only unique but also convey the intended attributes of the medicine.
Regulatory Considerations
Regulations on medicine names primarily focus on avoiding approval of names that may be confusing. However, incorporating human factors, such as user preferences and linguistic features, can provide additional safety benefits. Testing names for these factors can help in creating names that are both safe and appealing to consumers .
Medicalization of Plant Names in Brazil
Vernacular Names and Commercial Medicines
In Brazil, the medicalization of plant names has been observed, where popular names of medicinal plants have started to resemble commercial medicine names. This trend has been linked to the expansion of the Brazilian Unified Health System and pharmaceutical industry marketing. The appropriation of drug names by folk medicine indicates a broader cultural shift towards medicalization.
Conclusion
The similarity of medicine names poses a significant risk to patient safety, necessitating interventions like Tall-Man Lettering and the use of automated screening tools. Understanding the linguistic features of medicine names and incorporating user preferences can further enhance safety and efficacy. Additionally, the medicalization of plant names in Brazil highlights the cultural impact of pharmaceutical branding. As the healthcare landscape evolves, continuous efforts are needed to address these challenges and ensure the safe use of medicines.
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