Nursing students must memorize the generic names of drugs. What is the primary reason that generic names are used by health care providers over chemical and trade names?

Question

1. A drug can have more than one chemical and trade name.
2. There is only one generic name for each drug, and it is easier to remember than the chemical name.
3. The trade names do not reflect the action of the drug as the generic name does.
4. Nursing students should actually strive to learn both the generic and trade names to avoid confusion with clients.

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 2
Rationale 1: A drug has only one chemical name; it can have multiple trade names.
Rationale 2: Each drug does have only one generic name.
Rationale 3: The generic name of a drug might not reflect the action of the drug.
Rationale 4: Nursing students should learn the generic name of a drug, since there can be multiple trade names.
Global Rationale: Generic drug names are typically used because each drug only has one generic name, while it can have multiple trade names. Chemical names are not often used because they are hard to remember and pronounce. The generic name of a drug might not reflect the action of the drug.