Norflox or Norflex?

Abstract

Recently, the trade name for omeprazole was changed from Losec to Prilosec after several physicians noted incidents in which prescriptions written for Losec were instead dispensed with Lasix.^{1 2 3} We report a similar confusion between a popular new antibiotic, the fluoroquinolone norfloxacin, and a muscle relaxant, orphenadrine. Although the trade name for norfloxacin is Noroxin, it is frequently abbreviated as "norflox," which can lead to confusion with orphenadrine, the trade name for which is Norflex. We have noted two cases of such confusion.