Learning clinical pharmacology with the use of INNs and their stems

Any student who studies pharmacology and therapeutics will tell you that

remembering the names of drug substances and their mechanisms of action is one of

the most challenging tasks. Healthcare professionals also find it demanding to keep

up with the names of new therapeutic agents. Knowing how to classify medicines in a

systematic way and assisting healthcare professionals to select the most appropriate

medicines for their patients is of utmost importance in ensuring efficacy and safety.

Names of medicines come in different formats; there are chemical names, generic

names and brand names. They are derived from different approaches and some are

more practical than others in the clinic; but they all are intended to identify the active

pharmaceutical ingredient. Patients, who are not technical experts of medicines, can

find names confusing and may encounter risks, particularly in self-medication. For

example, as the same active pharmaceutical ingredient can appear in different brands

of a medicine, unknowingly the patient may consume the same active ingredient

from different brands thus leading to drug overdose or toxicity. Therefore, protection

of the patient against potential health risks is central to medicine nomenclature.