english.prescrire.org > Spotlight > Archives : 2006 > Don't confuse the I.N.N. with generic drugs

Spotlight: Archives

Every month, the subjects in Prescrire’s Spotlight.

2006 : 1 | 30 | 60

Don't confuse the I.N.N. with generic drugs

The International Nonproprietary Name (INN) is a drug's real name. A generic is simply a copy of a drug.

The INN indicates the name of the main substance in the drug, and is the drug's real name. There can be a large number of generics on the market, i.e. copies of drugs. All the drugs based on this main substance can be sold under different brand names. Some of these names may contain the INN, which makes it possible to identify their content, while others may have names that bear no resemblance to the INN, making it impossible to identify them.

Over recent months, the Medicines in Europe Forum has been campaigning to raise public awareness of the INN.

A complete dossier on the INN is available free at www.prescrire.org. It includes a series of fact sheets illustrating various situations where the use of the INN is useful and even essential.

©Prescrire June 2006

Source: "DCI le vrai nom du médicament. Fiche n°9 : "Générique n'est pas DCI"" Rev Prescrire 2006 ; 26 (272) : 389.

- More articles in Prescrire's "Spotlight"...