Clinical Edge

Summaries of Must-Read Clinical Literature, Guidelines, and FDA Actions

How do you pronounce that drug name?

Frank D. JAMA Intern Med. 2018;178(3):319-320. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.7898

Key clinical point: Wider adoption of the USAN (United States Adopted Names) pronunciation standards for new drugs should help prevent errors when prescribing and improve communication using generic drug names.

Major finding: USAN should record an audio clip of the correct pronunciation of each drug. Online references and package inserts should include a phonetic spelling for both trade and generic drug names, along with additional “rhymes with” or other hints.

Data source: Comparisons of guidance for pronouncing drugs in standard dictionaries and online guides vs. the USAN-AMA pronunciation guide.

Disclosures: No reported disclosures.

Source: Frank D. JAMA Intern Med. 2018;178(3):319-320. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.7898

Citation:

Frank D. JAMA Intern Med. 2018;178(3):319-320. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.7898