FDA-Approved List of Generic Drug Names with Tall Man Letters
The Food and Drug Administration has asked manufacturers to update the appearance of 33 look-alike drug names. The changes involve using capital letters (“Tall Man”) to minimize medication errors resulting from look-alike confusion.
| Drug Name with Tall Man Letters | Confused with |
| buPROPion | busPIRone |
| busPIRone | buPROPion |
| clomiPHENE | clomiPRAMINE |
| clomiPRAMINE | clomiPHENE |
| cycloSERINE | cycloSPORINE |
| cycloSPORINE | cycloSERINE |
| DAUNOrubicin | DOXOrubicin |
| dimenhyDRINATE | diphenhydrAMINE |
| diphenhydrAMINE | dimenhyDRINATE |
| DOBUTamine | DOPamine |
| DOPamine | DOBUTamine |
| DOXOrubicin | DAUNOrubicin |
| glipiZIDE | glyBURIDE |
| glyBURIDE | glipiZIDE |
| hydrALAZINE | hydrOXYzine, HYDROmorphone |
| HYDROmorphone | hydrOXYzine,hydrALAZINE |
| hydrOXYzine | hydrALAZINE , HYDROmorphone |
| medroxyPROGESTERone | methylPREDNISolone,methylTESTOSTERone |
| methylPREDNISolone | medroxyPROGESTERone,methylTESTOSTERone |
| methylTESTOSTERone | medroxyPROGESTERone,methylPREDNISolone |
| mitoXANTRONE | Not specified |
| niCARdipine | NIFEdipine |
| NIFEdipine | niCARdipine |
| prednisoLONE | predniSONE |
| predniSONE | prednisoLONE |
| risperiDONE | rOPINIRole |
| rOPINIRole | risperiDONE |
| vinBLAStine | vinCRIStine |
| vinCRIStine | vinBLAStine |
Adapted from U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/cder/index.html.