english.prescrire.org > Topics > Advancing healthcare policy > Advancing healthcare policy in Europe: a chronological recap of actions > 2022 Recap > Prescrire's response to public consultation on the revised Guideline on the acceptability of names for human medicinal products (3/2022)

Advancing healthcare policy

Advancing healthcare policy in Europe: a chronological recap of actions

A recap of actions in 2022
Prescrire's response to public consultation on the revised Guideline on the acceptability of names for human medicinal products (March 2022)


Paris, 15 March 2022

Summary

Prescrire welcomes the stronger focus on the prevention of medication errors, the introduction of a preliminary assessment by marketing authorisation holders (MAH) and the opposition to "umbrella brands".

But Prescrire also expressed concerns, especially as regards:

  • The correct use of International Non-proprietary Names (INN) by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and MAH;
     
  • Threats to EMA's independence, if the agency becomes involved in negotiations with companies for possible re-use or "conditional acceptability" of names, in which the Agency seems to be taking on the role of a "broker" in an unnecessary trade-name recycling market.


> Click here to download Prescrire's response (pdf, 503 Ko)
 

©Prescrire March 2022

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