An International Nonproprietary Name (INN) is the official non-proprietary or generic name given to a pharmaceutical substance, as designated by the World Health Organization. The plethora of named proprietary preparations containing a given substance can lead to confusion about the identity of the active ingredient. INNs facilitate communication by providing a standard name for each substance. A similar role is played in chemistry by IUPAC names, however these are less suited to common usage, being typically very long and unwieldy.

Example

INN:	Paracetamol
British Approved Name (BAN):	Paracetamol
United States Approved Name (USAN):	Acetaminophen
Other generic names:	N-acetyl-p-aminophenol, APAP, p-Acetamidophenol, Acetamol, ...
Proprietary names:	Tylenol®, Panadol®, Panamax®, Calpol®, Doliprane®,...
IUPAC name:	N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-acetamide

See also

• World Health Organization
• IUPAC nomenclature

External links

• INN information from the WHO