FDA doubles effort on confusing drug names

Medical Marketing and Media, Apr 2000 by Dickinson, James G

President Clinton's call in February for new FDA action against look-alike, soundalike drug names and packaging is rooted in an FDA plan to double the resources presently applied to monitoring adverse drug event data for medication errors caused by these cases, according to the agency. Until new resources become available, however, "we are working on this on an on-going basis," the Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Director Janet Woodcock said.

This effort is concentrated in the recently formed medication errors staff within the Office of Post-Marketing Drug Risk Assessment, reporting to Deputy Center Director Murray Lumpkin.