When you read the names Brintellix and Brilinta, it’s possible you think of computer software or some type of electronic product manufactured by the same company. As it turns out, however, these are the names of two very different prescription medications designed to treat two very different conditions, with the former designated as an antidepressant and the latter designated as a blood-thinner.

As you might imagine, these similar sounding names can — and already have — resulted in some level of confusion among both physicians and pharmacists. Indeed, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently released a warning to patients after receiving reports of 50 medication errors, at least 12 of which involved pharmacies providing the wrong drug to patients or physicians prescribing the wrong drug.

In light of the potential danger, the FDA is now recommending physicians take the time to write out the considerably different generic names for Brintellix and Brilinta in order to help minimize any confusion at the pharmacy and that patients prescribed either drug keep the following points in mind:

Brintellix

• Antidepressant taken once per day
• Generic name is vortioxetine
• Manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals
• Tear-shaped tablets with “TL” and dosage number stamped on them
• Color varies in accordance with dosage (red, orange, yellow, pink)

Brilinta 

• Blood thinner taken twice per day
• Generic name is ticagrelor
• Manufactured by AstraZeneca
• Round tablets with “T 90” stamped on them

If you or a loved one has fallen victim to any sort of prescription error, please consider speaking with an experienced legal professional who can help determine what went wrong and who must be held accountable for any negligence.