USAN
Medical abbreviation · Pharmacology
| Stands for | United States Adopted Name |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
USAN stands for United States Adopted Name, a pharmacology abbreviation.
Official nonproprietary name for a drug in the United States, selected by the USAN Council and used in US labeling and the USP. Most USANs are identical to the WHO's international names.
Example: The USAN Council approved a name ending in -mab for the new antibody.
Usage notes
The USAN Council was formed in the 1960s and is sponsored by the American Medical Association, the United States Pharmacopeia and the American Pharmacists Association, with an FDA liaison. It works with the WHO INN program to harmonize names. Differences such as albuterol versus salbutamol predate harmonization.
Related abbreviations
More pharmacology abbreviations
- ADA – Anti-drug antibodies
- ADE – Adverse drug event
- ADME – Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion
- ADR – Adverse drug reaction
- AE – Adverse event
- ATC – Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification
- AUC – Area under the curve
- BAN – British Approved Name
- BBW – Black box warning
- BE – Bioequivalence
- Cmax – Maximum concentration
- Css – Steady-state concentration
See all 36 pharmacology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.