FDA Considers Posting Names of Unapproved Drugs

Concern over medication mix-ups due to ?sound-alike? drugs is causing the FDA to reconsider its longstanding opposition to public disclosure of the names of drugs still in the research and development pipeline. According to officials at the FDA?s medication error prevention branch, the agency may soon propose new procedures for placing the names of unapproved drugs on the Internet?a move that some say could reduce confusion with other products and therefore lower the potential risk of medication mix-ups for patients.