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Pharmacy & Pharmacology vocabulary · Regulation and Medication Safety

Brand name

Meaning in pharmacy & pharmacology, with examples

nounCore term

In pharmacy & pharmacology, brand name means: The name a company gives to its product, written with a capital letter, as opposed to the generic name of the active ingredient that everyone uses.

In Turkish: ticari ad, marka adı, müstahzar adı

How it is used

Pharmacists constantly translate between brand names and generic names, because patients usually remember the brand. Textbooks and guidelines use generic names, which are mostly international (INN), while brand names differ from country to country. 'Proprietary name' and 'trade name' are formal synonyms.

Example sentences

  1. She knew the brand name of her blood pressure tablet but not the generic name.

  2. Write the generic name in the notes, not the brand name.

Common collocations

  • sold under the brand name
  • brand-name drug
  • branded product
  • generic name
  • generic drugA medicine with the same active ingredient, strength, dosage form and effect as an original branded medicine, usually sold after the original's patent has expired.
  • active ingredientThe substance in a medicine that produces its therapeutic effect, as opposed to the other ingredients that give the product its shape, taste or stability.
  • medication errorA preventable mistake in prescribing, dispensing, preparing, giving or monitoring a medicine, whether or not it actually harms the patient.

More terms: Regulation and Medication Safety

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.