E-DRUG: same tablet and company but different name
--------------------------------------------------
[Stein makes an important point: Industry doesn't like parallel import in
Europe, but has failed tostop it through the courts. However, there are many
marketing tricks left to make parallel import more difficult: different
shape, color, but now also different brandname. Is this not not confusing to
patients, and could this not lead to medication errors? In this era of
harmonisation, industry chooses to disharmonize if it is in its financial
interest. What can EU do about this? WB]
I have become aware of something I fear is a new trend.
I would like to know if there are more examples of this in other
countries.
Some companies market their tablets in different brands for different
indications. The tablets may differ in colour and/or imprint, but can also
be identical. The brand names may be totally different, but can also
differ only by a suffix of two letters.
Rofecoxib
Sweden: Vioxx and Vioxxakut, MSD
Norway: Vioxx and Vioxx AC, MSD
Denmark: Vioxx and Vioxxalt, MSD
Germany: Vioxx and Vioxxdolor, MSD
Bisoprolol
Sweden and Norway: Emconcor and Emconcor CHF, Merck
Denmark: Emconcor and Cardicor, Merck
Germany: Concor and ConconCor, Merck
In these days of paralell import and generics, this creates a lot of
confusion and uncertainty in the pharmacies. And I fear delay and
medication errors.
regards
Stein Lyftingsmo
Hospital Pharmacy of Elverum, Norway
stein@lyftingsmo.no
www.lyftingsmo.no
--
To send a message to E-Drug, write to: e-drug@healthnet.org
To subscribe or unsubscribe, write to: majordomo@healthnet.org
in the body of the message type: subscribe e-drug OR unsubscribe e-drug
To contact a person, send a message to: e-drug-help@healthnet.org
Information and archives: http://www.essentialdrugs.org/edrug