Traveling with prescriptions

Don't Take Two of These When Traveling

by Boomer Staff

Filling prescriptions while traveling abroad may not be a good idea. During the recent American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists' National Biotechnology Conference, newly released research shows that unlike approved generic drug names, brand names of drugs are not standardized internationally.

ingredients as well as varying dosage forms.

Medical experts worry that when pharmacies abroad dispense medications based on the brand name only, they may misinterpret the drug the patient needs.

The medical community is advocating the creation of an international organization or standard procedure to regulate the naming of drugs and to maintain a global brand name database to avoid medication errors. Until these procedures are in place over the next several years, international travelers should consult with their doctor to acquire the generic name, ingredients and the dosage when receiving a prescription to ensure that the drug being dispensed is actually the drug that's been prescribed to them.

The list below shows several other examples of misleading U.S. brand names that contain different ingredients in other countries:

Marax (Pfizer) prescribed for Bronchospasm
Flexon (Kenne) prescribed for muscular skeletal pain
Rhinocort (Astra) prescribed for Rhinitis
Glynase (Pharmacia Upjohn) prescribed for Diabetes Mellitus
Omnicef (Abbott) prescribed for bacterial infection