BAN - British Approved Name - official terminology of the producers of the
British Pharmacopoeia for the generic name of the active constituent of a medicine or drug. These have recently been mostly revoked from official
EU use in favour of
INNs, International Nonpropriertary Names, although for the sake of claity
adrenaline is still called so, and not
epinephrine due to the high risk of danger were it to be misinterpreted in acute emergencies.
Amongst names that differ between BAN and INNs and other nonproprietary names which encounter most day to day problems is paracetamol which is known in North America as acetaminophen causing endless confusion for travellers from both sides of the pond when trying to purchase basic analgesia from a pharmacy or chemist.
BAN's are still used extensively in non-EU English speaking nations (eg Commonwealth countries such as Australia) making further confusion likely as there is not insignificant transfer of medical manpower bewteen such countries. EU regulations may play havoc to even this recoprocity though, as recent legislation may have made the traditional 2 year working visa for Antipodeans wishing to practice pharmacy in the UK almost impossible financially due to a refusal to recognise equivalency in professional qualifications.