Drugs are often known by a variety of names. When first discovered, a drug is given a chemical name, a shorthand version of the chemical name, or a code name developed for easy reference among researchers. The government, doctors, researchers, and others who write about the new compound use the drug's generic name because it refers to the drug itself, not a particular company's brand of that drug or a specific product. However, written prescriptions usually use a trade name. Generic names are usually more complicated and harder to remember than trade names.
Many generic names are a kind of shorthand for the drug's chemical name, structure, or formula.
The most important characteristic of a generic name is its uniqueness. Trade names also must be unique and are usually catchy and relatively easy to remember. They often indicate a particular characteristic of the drug. The trade name Minocin, on the other hand, is simply a shortened version of minocycline, the drug's generic name. Authorities must be certain that trade and generic names are unique and can't be mistaken for other drugs.