Letters
Over-the-counter drug packaging has been changing drastically, and physicians have not noticed. "Line extension" is here, and the brand names that are part of medical language are no longer the drugs that we think they are.
Line extension is when a drug company takes an old, well-recognized brand name, adds a number, a few letters or a phrase and applies the name to an entirely different drug. Some examples are Anacin 3, which is acetaminophen, and the drugs pictured in Fig. 1.
Drug packaging falls under the Food and Drugs Act. Of particular interest is section 9 (1) of the act, which states that "no person shall label, package, treat, process, sell or advertise any drug in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character, value, quantity, composition, merit or safety."[1]
According to the Bureau of Pharmaceutical Assessment, the federal agency that oversees these drugs, line extension is legal. However, as a representative of the bureau pointed out, it is extremely difficult to change the guidelines for manufacturers unless there have been complaints and harm has been proven.
It seems that there have been no complaints. There is no consumer watchdog group to comment on the increasing number of similar names appearing on the counters.
Spend some time in the drug store soon. Imagine that you are the patient with high blood pressure whose physician just told her to "pick up brand X." Take a good look at the packages on those shelves. Do you feel confident that your patient will buy the drug that you recommend?
Catherine Younger-Lewis, MD, CCFP
Contributing Editor
CMA Publications
Department of Health
Carleton University
Ottawa, Ont.
Reference