How to does one find in the numerous names of drugs?
International Nonproprietary Name (INN) allows patients and caregivers around the world to navigate despite the many trade names. DCI is the name of the active substance (molecule) contained in the medicine and internationally recognized. There are over 8000 brand names for only 1700 DCI! This is WHO has established the DCI program. The objective is to develop , for each substance used , a specific name , recognizable and pronounceable in all countries of the world.
The drugs are at odds into dissimilar groups according to the organ (heart , kidney ...) or system (respiratory system , nervous system ...) on which they act and / or their therapeutic characteristics (diuretics ...) and chemicals.
How are developed DCI? ICDs are developed by a limited length of name used in the public domain (for generic). ICDs often incorporate "segment key" to recognize the substances of the same pharmacological group and / or chemical. Key segments are suffixes , prefixes , and syllable groups (intermediate segments).
Thus , the suffix "olol" is common , for example beta-blockers (atenolol , propranolol ...) used in cardiology.
The suffix "azepam" is common to benzodiazepines (diazepam , tetrazepam ...) used as anxiolytics or hypnotics such as (1).
What are the general guidelines for the formation of DCI? ICDs are distinguished from each other by their sound and spelling. DCI should , if possible , show this relationship pharmacological. Those that evoke an anatomical , physiological , pathological or therapeutic avoided. To facilitate the translation and pronunciation of INN , "f" is used instead of "ph" , "t" instead of "th" , "e" instead of "æ" and "œ" and "i" instead of "y" , the use of letters "h" and "k" is avoided.
How are drugs classified? System Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) is used to classify drugs according to the organ or system on which they take action and / or according to their therapeutic and chemical characteristics. This is the "Collaborate Centre for Drug Statistics
Methodology" of WHO control. Drugs are also classified as "therapeutic families ," that is to say , principles of therapeutic action.
For example , analgesics (paracetamol , ibuprofen , aspirin ...) are medicines that act against the pain everyone differently , but at the same goal of reducing pain.
The infectives are of the same family that includes antifungal (against fungi) , antibiotics (bacteriostatic and / or bactericidal) and antiviral (against viruses).
For the sake of simplicity , these families have been linked to a medical specialty , eg infectious diseases to the above treatments. However , a medical specialty may appeal to another specialty drugs for a specific purpose. For example , a cardiologist may lower blood pressure due to stress with "anxiolytic" drugs under psychiatric specialty yet.
