Use of Proprietary Names by Prescribers When Prescribing Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drug Products

Background: To identify if proprietary names are used by health care practitioners when prescribing over-the-counter (OTC) drug products. These findings can inform evaluation of proposed proprietary names for both prescription and OTC drug products.

Methods: QuintilesIMS OTC International Market Tracking (QuintilesIMS OTCIMS) was used to identify top OTC drug products sold to the consumers from US retail store outlets in year 2011. QuintilesIMS's Vector One: National (VONA) was used to identify prescribers' use of proprietary names by examining drug use data from 2003 to 2011 for the top OTC products identified from QuintilesIMS OTCIMS.

Results: Of the 29 OTC drug products that have drug utilization data available, the data showed prescribers' use of proprietary names every year from 2003 to 2011 for 24 OTC drug products, and from 2004 to 2011 for 2 OTC drug products. The drug use data showed the use of proprietary name in some years but not all years from 2003 to 2011 for the remaining 3 OTC drug products. For the OTC drug products studied, prescribers used proprietary names for OTC products when prescribing them, and the use of proprietary names on prescriptions can vary during a 9-year period.

Conclusion: This research identified that prescribers do prescribe OTC drug products using proprietary names. This prescribing practice confirms the need for the pharmaceutical industry, industry consultants, and regulators to consider the proprietary names of OTC drug products when formulating and evaluating new proprietary names for drugs.