Consumer advocates target ‘confusing’ drug names
>> Consumer advocates have urged authorities to rein in drug manufacturers that brand their products with names similar to those of established brands, in a bid to prevent patients from mistakenly using them.
The call was made in a press briefing jointly held by the Foundation for Consumers (FFC), Thai Drug Watch and the Rural Pharmacy Association (RPA).
RPA chairman Panuchot Tongyang said the so-called “lookalike or soundalike drugs” are a problem in the pharmaceutical industry, adding that efforts have been made to implore authorities to tackle the issue to protect patients.
The problem is more acute in the provinces, he said.
For example, some antibiotics are packaged and branded in a way that makes them difficult to distinguish, and their ingredients might be different. For example some varieties contain penicillin and others sulphur, known as sulfa drugs.
This may cause some penicillin-allergic patients to develop allergies or suffer shock and suffocation when taking penicillin-based drugs, he said. Those who are allergic to sulfa drugs may experience a rash.
Mr Panuchot said some companies choose to name and package their products in a similar fashion to others to deliberately confuse drug authorities into approving their products.
“Some drug makers may know that they are producing dangerous medicine, which is subject to distribution control by pharmacists and an advertisement ban.
“They therefore try to use drug names that sound similar to others,” Mr Panuchot said.
Regardless of pharmaceutical firms’ intentions, the Food and Drug Administration and state officials must be aware of this problem and have a clear idea of how to protect consumers and patients so that they have access to the appropriate drugs, he added.
Mr Panuchot said the problem must be tackled at the early stages, namely at the registration process.
FFC secretary-general Saree Ongsomwang said a survey by her foundation’s magazine found many drugs to have similar labels in various categories.