Drug nomenclature

Drug nomenclature is the systematic naming of drugs, especially pharmaceutical drugs. In general, drugs have 3 types of names: chemical names, for which IUPAC nomenclature is the most accepted naming system; nonproprietary (generic) names, for which the international nonproprietary name (INN) system is the most accepted naming system; and trade names, which are brand names used for marketing and selling drugs. Under the INN system, generic names for drugs contain affixes or stems that can be used to identify what class a drug belongs to, while ensuring related names are distinguishable. A marketed drug might also have a company code or compound code.

Legal regulation

Drug names are often subject to legal regulation, including approval for new drugs (to avoid confusion with existing drugs) and on packaging to establish clear rules about adulterants and fraudulent or misleading labeling. A national formulary is often designated to define drug names (and purity standards) for regulatory purposes. The legally approved names in various countries include:

Australian Approved Name

Brazilian Nonproprietary Name

British Approved Name

Dénomination Commune Française (France)

Denominazione Comune Italiana (Italy, generic name)

Japanese Accepted Name

United States Adopted Name

The World Health Organization administers the international nonproprietary name list.

A company or person developing a drug can apply for a generic (nonproprietary) name through their national formulary or directly to the WHO INN Programme. In order to minimize confusion, many of the national naming bodies have policies of maintaining harmony between national nonproprietary names and INNs. The European Union has mandated this harmonization for all member states.