DRUG NAMES
Following a European Union directive, all drugs marketed in Europe are now known by their recommended International Non-proprietary Names (rINNs). Previously, in the UK, drugs were known by their British Approved Names (BANs). Differences between BANs and rINNs are listed in Table 1.
Where United States Adopted Names (USANs) differ from rINNs and BANs, the USANs have also been included to aid understanding of the US literature.
With compound preparations such as codeine and paracetamol (USAN acetaminophen) or diphenoxylate and atropine, the UK conventional name is shown in Table 2, e.g. co-codamol or co-phenotrope.
Table 1 Drug names relevant to palliative care for which the rINN, BAN and/or USAN differ
| rINN | BAN | USAN |
| Alimemazine | Trimeprazine | Trimeprazine |
| Aluminium | Aluminum | |
| Amfetamine | Amphetamine | |
| Amobarbital | Amylobarbitone | |
| Beclometasone | Beclomethasone | Beclomethasone |
| Bendroflumethiazide | Bendrofluazide | Bendroflumethiazide |
| Benorilate | Benorylate | |
| Benzathine benzylpenicillin | Benzathine penicillin | Benzathine penicillin |
| Benzatropine | Benztropine | Benztropine |
| Benzylpenicillin | Penicillin G | |
| Calcitonin (salmon) | Salcatonin | Calcitonin |
| Carmellose | Carboxymethylcellulose | |
| Cefalexin (etc.) | Cephalexin (etc.) | Cephalexin (etc.) |
| Chlorphenamine | Chlorpheniramine | Chlorpheniramine |
| Ciclosporin | Cyclosporin | Cyclosporine |
| Clomethiazole | Chlormethiazole | |
| Colestyramine | Cholestyramine | Cholestyramine |
| Dantron | Danthron | |
| Dexamfetamine | Dexamphetamine | Dextroamphetamine |
| Dextropropoxyphene | Propoxyphene | |
| Dicycloverine | Dicyclomine | Dicyclomine |
| Dienestrol | Dienoestrol | |
| Diethylstilbestrol | Stilboestrol | Diethylstilbestrol |
| Dimeticone | Dimethicone | Dimethicone |
| Dosulepin | Dothiepin | Dothiepin |
| Estradiol | Oestradiol | |
| Etamsylate | Ethamsylate | |
| Furosemide | Frusemide | |
| Glibenclamide | Glyburide | |
| Glyceryl trinitrate | Nitroglycerin | |
| Glycopyrronium | Glycopyrrolate | |
| Hyoscine | Scopolamine | |
| Indometacin | Indomethacin | Indomethacin |
| Isoprenaline | Isoproterenol | |
| Ispaghula | Psyllium | |
| Levomepromazine | Methotrimeprazine | |
| Levothyroxine | Thyroxine | |
| Lidocaine | Lignocaine | |
| Liquid paraffin | Mineral oil | |
| Meclozine | Meclizine | |
| Methenamine hippurate | Hexamine hippurate | |
| Mitoxantrone | Mitozantrone | |
| Oxetacaine | Oxethazine | Oxethazine |
| Paracetamol | Acetaminophen | |
| Pethidine | Meperidine | |
| Phenobarbital | Phenobarbitone | |
| Phenoxymethylpenicillin | Penicillin V | |
| Phytomenadione | Phytonadione | |
| Procaine benzylpenicillin | Procaine penicillin | Procaine penicillin |
| Retinol | Vitamin A | Vitamin A |
| Rifampicin | Rifampin | |
| Salbutamol | Albuterol | |
| Simeticonea | Simethicone | Simethicone |
| Sodium cromoglicate | Sodium cromoglycate | Cromolyn sodium |
| Sulfasalazine | Sulphasalazine | |
| Sulfathiazole | Sulphathiazole | |
| Sulfonamides | Sulphonamides | |
| Tetracaine | Amethocaine | |
| Trihexyphenidyl | Benzhexol | Trihexyphenidyl |
| a. silica-activated dimeticone; known in some countries as activated dimethylpolysiloxane. | ||
Table 2 UK names for compound preparations
| Contents | UK name |
| Amoxicillin-clavulanate | Co-amoxiclav |
| Diphenoxylate-atropine | Co-phenotrope |
| Magnesium hydroxide-aluminiuma hydroxide | Co-magaldrox |
| Paracetamolb-codeine phosphate | Co-codamol |
| Paracetamol-dextropropoxyphenec | Co-proxamol |
| Paracetamol-dihydrocodeine | Co-dydramol |
| Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim | Co-trimoxazole |
|
a. aluminum (USAN) b. acetaminophen (USAN) c. propoxyphene (USAN). |
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