Basis: Many drug names are similar, sharing the same prefix or suffix. A person in a hurry may not fully read a drug name and select the wrong one.
Use of Tall Man letters in drug naming:
(1) Identify drugs with names that look or sound similar..
(2) Identify those components in common and those that are unique.
(3) The components in common are made lowercase while those that differ are capitalized.
(4) The altered names are tested to see if they are optimized for recognition.
Ideally the common and different letters form recognizable strings related to phonemes. The intent is to encourage the reader to pay attention to key differences in drug names.
Variations include changes in letter coloring, background, or font.
Separating 2 or 3 drugs with similar names is not too difficult, but problems could arise if there are many drugs that are similar.
Tall Man lettering may reduce errors related to similarities in drug names but will not affect other sources of error such as:
(1) packaging, color coding and hand labeling.
(2) ignorance about drugs.
(3) problems with eyesight or memory
(4) error in dosing or administration
