Abstract
Aims : To evaluate the extent of the problem caused by the absence of generic drugs (following drugs) listings in Japanese drug handbooks.
Methods : During the period between April 2002 and March 2003, we encountered many generic drugs in our daily practice. A Japanese drug handbook, Konnichi-no-chiryoyaku, was consulted to determine whether each generic drug we encountered was listed or not.
Results : Among the 85 generic drugs examined in this study, 29 generic drugs (34.1%) were not found in the handbook.
Conclusions : The descriptions of several generic drugs are not included in Japanese drug handbooks, making it difficult for physicians to determine the exact composition of some generic drugs. We propose that the name of generic drugs should be composed by combining innovator drug's name (or generalized name) and manufacturer's name.
