About This Project

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

This project is a vital component of a much larger PhD on the linguistic aspects of generic drug names used internationally. You can also download a summary of the overall study and my academic CV (trusted links). Overall, this study seeks to identify areas for improvement to the international drug naming process to protect against drug confusion errors, and thus increase patient safety. An example of a drug confusion error - between mercaptamine and mercaptopurine - can be read about here.

I am analysing and comparing the entire body of drug names used internationally (in English, Italian and Russian - my working languages) to ascertain the extent to which their construction reflects their conceptual properties and interrelationships. Findings will then be correlated with drug confusion error statistics to highlight links between names and likelihood of error, and thus risks to patient safety.

The overall project is hugely important and is relevant to almost every person on Earth, since at some point in our lives we are all patients and we take some form of medication. International drug names are currently chosen through an archaic procedure, and there is widespread inconsistency in both the construction of the names and how it portrays the pharmacological relationships between drugs.

What is the significance of this project?

Drug confusion errors continue to occur and thus patients continue to be put at risk. As a human being, I am frustrated that the safety of patients is being put at risk. As a linguist, I am astounded that no attention has been paid to terminology in seeking solutions to the problem. So I have decided to do it myself!

The current component - conducting interviews with medical professionals - is vital to the study since it will provide an on-the-ground perspective of drug names in use, and will elucidate so-called 'latent factors' that increase the risk of drug names being confused, such as fatigue and long working hours.

These interviews will also direct any possible deliverables of the project, such as changes to the way in which medical students learn about pharmacology. From some informal interviews with pharmacists and general practitioners it has emerged that despite there being in place an extensive stem (word parts signifying pharmacological relationships) system, most medical professionals (including a Professor of Pharmacology) are not aware of it and learnt pharmaceutical names by rote, inferring relationships ad hoc.

What are the goals of the project?

It's a huge project involving over 40,000 names in 3 languages, and due to its interdisciplinarity with Linguistics and Medicine, it has been extremely difficult to find funding for the project (Medicine funding bodies think it belongs to Linguistics, and vice versa!). Almost all of my tuition fees have now been covered by my Faculty/University but I am seeking alternative funding for some key components, including the current component - the collection of primary qualitative data through interviews with medical professionals.

During September and October, I will be organising, conducting and analysing the results of a series of interviews with medical professionals from various parts of the health care system (nurses, midwives, doctors, general practitioners, pharmacists, parents/carers and patients). This is the only qualitative component of my study, and also the only primary data to be collected.

I am seeking funds to cover the administration costs and expenses for interviews with medical professionals in England and Wales, including outsourcing the transcription of the interview recordings to undergraduates in my department (this is heavily discounted as it is assigned as part of a module in the Translation degree scheme).