CONSUMERS WARNED AGAINST FILLING U.S. PRESCRIPTIONS ABROAD

The FDA has issued a notice warning doctors and consumers against filling U.S. prescriptions abroad because of concerns that taking drugs with the same or similar sounding names to their domestic counterparts could harm patients.

"Consumers who fill U.S. prescriptions abroad, either when traveling or when shopping at foreign internet pharmacies, need to be aware of this potential health hazard," said Murray Lumpkin, deputy commissioner for international and special programs. "The name of a drug bought from another country may be identical or similar to the name on the U.S. prescription, but the active ingredient in the medicine may be different and not provide the right treatment.

The agency undertook an investigation that found 105 U.S. brand name drugs had foreign counterparts that look or sound so similar that consumers who fill such prescriptions abroad may receive a drug with the wrong active ingredient. For example, in the UK, "Amyben," a brand name for a drug product containing amiodarone, used to treat abnormal heart rhythms, could be mistaken for "Ambien," a U.S. brand name for a sleeping pill. Using Amyben instead of Ambien could have a serious adverse outcome, the recent notice said. The investigation also found 18 foreign drug products that use the same brand name as an FDA-approved medication but contain a different active ingredient.

The notice is available at http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/reports/confusingnames.html (http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/reports/confusingnames.html).