Recently, oncologist Dr. Vincent Rajkumar expressed his shock on social media over the fact that two different drugs, treating entirely different conditions, had identical brand names — ‘Linamac’. While the drug bearing the name ‘Linamac 5’ is used to treat multiple myeloma, which is a type of cancer, the other drug bearing the name ‘Linamac’ is a drug used to treat diabetes. The consequences of confusion between these medications at the pharmacy can be serious for patients.
An old problem
The use of identical trade names for drugs with different active ingredients is an old problem in India, and the medical community has been complaining about the issue for several decades. The most popular example cited by doctors is that of the brand name Medzole, which is used by four different companies to sell four different active ingredients treating entirely different medical conditions. The first company uses ‘Medzol’ to sell a drug containing Midazolam which is used as a sedative. The second company uses the name ‘Medzole-DSR’ to sell a combination of domperidone and pantoprazole which is used to treat stomach acidity. A third company uses the name ‘Medzole 400’ for a formulation containing albendazole that is used in deworming treatment for children. A fourth company uses ‘Medzole 200’ for a formulation containing Itraconazole, which is a powerful antifungal drug used to treat diseases such as “black fungus”.
