Question

When reviewing a list of drugs in a drug handbook, a nurse can identify the generic names for a drug in which of the following ways?

a.it begins with a lower-case letter
b.it is listed in parentheses along with the trade name
c.there are both letters and numbers in the name
d.the chemical name is listed in parenthesis before the generic name

Answer 1

A nurse can identify the generic names for a drug in a drug handbook because they usually begin with a lower-case letter, or they may appear in parentheses alongside the drug's brand name.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a nurse is reviewing a list of drugs in a drug handbook, the generic names for a drug can be identified because they usually begin with a lower-case letter. This is the convention adopted by many pharmacological sources to help differentiate between generic and brand (or trade) names. Typically, a drug's brand name will begin with a capital letter. While the chemical name can also be listed, it is usually not the identifier used for the generic name. Additionally, in some cases, the generic name may be listed in parentheses alongside the brand name for clarity.

For example, when referring to the common pain reliever acetaminophen, the generic name would be listed as acetaminophen and the trade name, such as Tylenol, would begin with a capital letter. In organic chemistry, a similar practice is observed where the systematic names are preferred because they are unambiguous and indicate the position of substituents, whereas common names like acetone are known generically for propanone.