By Any Other Name: Ambiguity in Marketing Proprietary Anti-Infective Agents

In 55 instances, a single proprietary (trade) name has been used to market > or = 2 distinct generic anti-infective agents. In some cases, one trade name represents 2 different drugs in the same country--or even marketed by the same manufacturer. Some unrelated drugs and poisonous substances are also manufactured under trade names assigned to anti-infectives. The use of proprietary names in the prescribing of anti-infective drugs could result in considerable confusion or harm to patients.