Why are some drugs called different names in different countries? Is it the same drug but a different name or is it a different drug? Are the drug companies deliberately trying to confuse us?
Here’s a brief explanation from Saul.Â
Prescription drugs on the market are given a proprietary trade name in order to brand them and make then unique and trade-marketable.
While I don’t know the definitive answer to the question “same drug, different name?  I do have some ideas on why drug companies often use different drug names in different countries, even though it’s the same product.
Can any of you see why these same drugs have different names? It’s quite scary to think of all the possible drug mix-ups due to name changing.
Even scarier is when the same brand medication has different ingredients. An example of this is dilacor in the USA containd diltiazem a drug used to reduce blood pressure. In Serbia dilacor contains digoxin a drug used in congestive heart disease. The patient ended up in hospital with digoxin poisoning.
Many patients and health professionals do not realize that the same brand name medication may be used for different drugs in different countries, a practice that as a recent mix-up shows can cause serious harm. This overlooked issue has major safety implications, especially in light of the growing interest in drug re-importation to help U.S. consumers save money.
- The name may be offensive in one country so the drug company may choose to market under a new name.
- The name may already be associated to a product in a certain country so the drug company is forced to market under a different name
- The trademark may already be in use
USA name | International name |
Advair | Seretide |
Androgel | Testogel |
Lexapro | Cipralex |
Celebrex | Celebra |
Cosaar | Ocsaar |
Zocor | Simovil |
Zetia | Ezetrol |
Lovenox | Clexane |