TL;DRAbstract
A drug usually has several names. Its chemical name, which is in accord with internationally agreed upon rules about naming chemical compounds, provides, to the initiated, a description of its structure. However, this name is often quite long and can also be cumbersome, difficult to remember and to pronounce. Thus most drugs are also provided with a shorter official, or generic, name, which is easier to remember, and which may receive international recognition under the auspices of the World Health Organization. As no person or company owns it, this is also referred to as the nonproprietary name. Some drugs even have popular names, which, in the case of illicit drugs, are often referred to as their “street names” (e.g., methamphetamine = “speed,” cocaine = “snow,” phenobarbital = “purple hearts”).
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A drug usually has several names. Its chemical name, which is in accord with internationally agreed upon rules about naming chemical compounds, provides, to the initiated, a description of its structure. However, this name is often quite long and can also be cumbersome, difficult to remember and to pronounce. Thus most drugs are also provided with a shorter official, or generic, name, which is easier to remember, and which may receive international recognition under the auspices of the World Health Organization. As no person or company owns it, this is also referred to as the nonproprietary name. Some drugs even have popular names, which, in the case of illicit drugs, are often referred to as their “street names” (e.g., methamphetamine = “speed,” cocaine = “snow,” phenobarbital = “purple hearts”).
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