A pharmacy technician sees buPROPion and busPIRone on an FDA reference card. What is the purpose of the capitalized letters?
AHighlight differences between look-alike drug names✓ Correct
Tall-man lettering capitalizes dissimilar letters to help distinguish similar names.
BIndicate that both drugs have the same active ingredient✗ Incorrect
The lettering differentiates names; it does not indicate identical ingredients.
CIdentify the recommended dose for each drug✗ Incorrect
Capitalized letters distinguish names, not doses.
DShow that the drugs require refrigeration✗ Incorrect
Tall-man lettering does not convey storage requirements.
Answer
A. Highlight differences between look-alike drug names
Rationale
Tall-man lettering highlights dissimilar letters in similar drug names to help distinguish them.
RememberTall-man lettering helps differentiate look-alike drug names.
Sources
FDA Name Differentiation ProjectU.S. Food and Drug Administration · License: US government work (public domain) · Retrieved · FDA List of Established Drug Names Recommended to Use Tall Man Lettering (TML) · page updated Fri, 06/12
Safety Considerations forU.S. Food and Drug Administration · License: US government work (public domain) · Retrieved · Page 41
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