So what’s in a name?
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” 1
Rosa molineaux is a deep pink fragrant rose species. Rosa molineaux is its scientific botanical name. Its “generic” name would probably just be “pink rose.”2
How medications are named
Likewise, every medication has different names that refer to the same thing. In pharmaceuticals, the number of names is three:
Chemical name: the actual molecular name
Generic name: the name given to that molecule that is the active ingredient of any medication.
Trade name: the “brand” name of the medication given by the company who has the patent on the generic. It is usually based on marketing and uniqueness.
An example3:
Chemical name: 2-(4-Isobutylphenyl)propanoic acid.
Generic name: ibuprofen.
Trade name: Advil; Motrin.
No one says, “Hey, while you’re at the drugstore, pick me up a bottle of 2-(4-Isobutylphenyl)propanoic ...
While maintaining reliable contraception, there is a buzz all over the internet about how the oral contraceptive (birth control pill, or BCP) can be manipulated (off-label use) to artificially manipulate one’s menstrual cycles and by doing so, one’s periods. Before entering the discussions on this, however, the standard way to use the pill—the "Label" way—needs mentioning.
Label Use
Using the standard 28-day pack, which contains 21 days of active combination-hormone pills, ending with 7 days of placebo, will maintain contraception while artificially orchestrating a perfect 28-day cycle. That means a period at the end of each pack. Alternately, there are 21-day packs that assume a woman will simply go pill-free for 7 days after the 21-pill pack is empty.
Off-label Use
“Off-label” use means using a medication in a way not approved by regulatory agencies such as the FDA with an otherwise approved "labe ...
