NURS 3100 Exam 1 Practice

Which of the following is true regarding the generic name of a drug?

1. It describes the chemical composition of the medication

2. It is assigned by the company marketing the drug

3. There is only one name for each medication

4. Drugs that contain more than one active ingredient are classified as generic drugs

The correct answer is: It describes the chemical composition of the medication

The correct answer is A. The generic name of a drug describes its chemical composition. This name is typically not owned by any specific company and is often based on the drug's chemical structure. It differs from the brand or trade name, which is assigned by the pharmaceutical company marketing the drug. Each medication can have multiple names – a generic name (based on its composition) and one or more brand names (assigned by the manufacturer). Additionally, drugs that contain more than one active ingredient are typically classified as combination drugs rather than generic drugs.