Health Canada reports five mix ups involving the drugs Pradax and Plavix

OTTAWA | Health Canada is warning of mix-ups caused by the similar-sounding names of two prescription drugs, Pradax and Plavix.The drugmakers for the two products teamed up with the federal agency Tuesday to alert patients of the risk of medication errors associated with name confusion.“Mix-ups between the drug names Pradax and Plavix have been associated with similarities in the names, when spoken or written, and in their use in patients with certain heart conditions or at risk of blood clots,” the statement said.Since January, there have been five cases in Canada involving drug name mix-ups, including one that resulted in harm to a patient—non-serious bleeding after a medical procedure, the advisory said.Health-care professionals have also raised concerns about the potential for confusion.Pradax (dabigatran) is a blood thinner prescribed to patients who have an irregular heartbeat, and it is also prescribed to patients after hip or knee replacement surgery to prevent blood clots.Plavix (clopidogrel) helps keep platelets in the blood from sticking together and forming clots that could lead to heart attack or stroke. When combined with acetylsalicylic acid, or ASA, it can also be prescribed to patients with an irregular heartbeat who cannot take blood thinners.The drug companies involved—Boehringer Ingelheim Canada and sanofi-aventis Canada—say they are working on ways to reduce the risk of medication errors associated with name confusion.Receiving Pradax instead of Plavix, or vice versa, could lead to a greater risk of bleeding, stroke, heart attack or blood clots, the advisory said.Patients are encouraged to:Be aware of the names and uses of the medications they are taking and keep a list of current medications with them.Make sure they can clearly read the name of the medication on any written prescription. If not, ask the doctor to print the name.Make sure they know why the doctor has prescribed the medication.Discuss with the pharmacist the reason for the medication and the properties of the drug.Read the patient leaflet provided with the medication.Know what their medications look like and raise questions if there is a change in appearance.

Health Canada reports five mix ups involving the drugs Pradax and Plavix

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