USP's Drug Error Finder

Look–alike/Sound–alike Drug Names

As a service to healthcare practitioners, industry, consumers, and others, USP has developed a free tool for accessing drug names that have been identified with a medication error. USP's Drug Error Finder allows a user to search more than 1,400 drugs involved in look–alike and/or sound–alike errors. It not only lists the other drugs involved in a mix–up, but also designates the severity of the error where at least one report was received through USP's Reporting Programs. Use USP's Drug Error Finder*.

USP's Drug Error Finder is derived from USP's eighth report on medication errors involving drug nomenclature (naming) as reported to the MEDMARX ® and USP–ISMP Medication Errors Reporting Programs during the time period from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2006. In this report, a review of more than 26,000 records identified 1,470 unique drugs implicated in medication errors due to brand and/or generic names that looked and/or sounded alike. Together, these drug names contributed to more than 3,170 confusing drug name pairs.

To learn more about USP's complete drug–name confusion list, evidence of how communicating drug orders can directly lead to medication errors, or information on the USP drug naming process, see The MEDMARX Data Report: A Report on the Relationship of Drug Names and Medication Errors in Response to the Institute of Medicine's Call for Action.

*Disclaimer: The information provided is based solely on medication errors reported to USP from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2006. It is not necessarily a complete list of all look–alike and/or sound–alike errors that may occur, nor is it intended to substitute for the judgment of the health care professional or patient.