INTERNATIONAL NONPROPRIETARY NAMES: TRANSLATING THE SCIENCE OF NOMENCLATURE INTO A GLOBAL LANGUAGE FOR EDUCATION AND PRACTICE.

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    • Subject Terms:
      HEALTH education; COLLEGE students; LANGUAGE & languages; TERMS & phrases; PHYSICIAN practice patterns; TRANSLATIONS; SCIENCE
    • Abstract:
      Background: This review aims to fill the knowledge gaps in the understanding of the World Health Organization's International Nonproprietary Names (INN) nomenclature system among students and professionals in order to improve education and develop a better use of INN. The ultimate goal is to promote safe use of medicines and a unifying global language for educating health professionals and scientists. Methods: This review about clinical use of INN by health professionals was conducted using the Web of Science database and the search was framed between the period of 1900 and 2020. Key words such as INN, nonproprietary or approved name, drug nomenclature were used as search terms to collate the relevant articles for the review. In addition, feedback was collected by the WHO INN Programme on the awareness of the INN among university students. Students residing in nine countries across the world were invited to participate by completing a survey that contained 10 questions regarding the INN. Results: Students are generally not familiar with the INN nomenclature system, hence when they learn about drugs, they often resort to memorisation. Practitioners do not fully understand how the INN can help them recognize the pharmacological class and mode of action of the drugs they prescribe. Implications: The INN nomenclature system is a useful tool for education and practice. Since the establishment of the World Health Organization's International Nonproprietary Names Programme in 1950, the process for naming new chemical and biological pharmaceutical substances has become more complex but is highly rooted in scientific evidence. The INN in its multiple translated forms is certainly a global language that can contribute to the safety of patients. Understanding the construct of INN will thus be beneficial for learning and the application thereof in medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]