Omacor medication errors
Executive Summary
The Institute of Safe Medication Practices is recommending that the name of Reliant's hypertriglyceridemia therapy Omacor (omega-3-acid ethyl esters) be changed due to similarity with Xanodyne's antifibrinolytic agent Amicar (aminocaproic acid). "Prescriptions for Omacor have just begun to arrive in pharmacies, but we've already heard name-related safety issues. A pharmacist reported an error in which a telephone order of Omacor 1 g B.I.D. was misheard as Amicar 1 g B.I.D.," the Nov. 3 issue of ISMP's Medication Safety Alert! says. Reliant launched Omacor in October, following approval in November 2004 (1"The Pink Sheet" June 6, 2005, p. 9)...