Guides
Short, plain-language explainers on reading medicine labels, checking DGDA registration and finding healthcare in Bangladesh. They explain words and records, not treatment: for health questions, ask a registered doctor or pharmacist.
25 guides
DGDA registration
What DGDA is, how registration numbers work and how to report a suspected fake medicine.
What is DGDA (Directorate General of Drug Administration)?
The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) is the government body behind Bangladesh's medicine registry. This guide explains what that registry is and how the medicine pages on this site relate to it.
How to check if a medicine is DGDA-registered
You can look up a medicine's brand name or DAR number in the DGDA registry snapshot on this site. This guide shows how to do it, how to compare the result with the pack in your hand, and why a match is not proof that a pack is genuine.
What is the DAR number on a medicine pack?
The DAR number is the registration number a medicine product has in the DGDA registry. This guide explains what it identifies, how to use it to look a product up, and the limits of what it can tell you.
How to report a suspected fake or substandard medicine to DGDA
If you suspect a medicine is fake, of poor quality or unregistered, you can tell the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA). This guide explains how to reach DGDA's complaint form safely and what information to have ready.
Pharmaceutical companies in Bangladesh (DGDA registry list)
Every medicine in the DGDA registry is linked to the company that makes it. This guide explains what the registry says about manufacturers, which companies have the most registered products in our snapshot, and how to browse each company's full product list.
Reading medicine names and labels
Generic and brand names, strengths, dosage forms and what the words on a pack mean.
Generic name vs brand name: what's the difference?
Every medicine pack carries two kinds of name: the brand name a company chose and the generic name of the active ingredient. Knowing which is which makes packs, prescriptions and registry entries much easier to read.
How to find the generic name of any medicine brand
The generic name tells you the active ingredient behind a brand name. You can usually read it on the pack, and you can always look it up in the DGDA registry snapshot on this site. This guide shows both ways and the common mix-ups to watch for.
Why one generic has hundreds of brands in Bangladesh
Search for a common active ingredient and you may find hundreds of products. This guide explains why one generic can appear under so many brand names, and how to read such a long list.
How to compare brands of the same generic (strength, form, maker)
Many brands contain the same active ingredient. This guide shows which registry facts you can line up side by side, what they tell you, and where comparing should stop and a professional should take over.
How to read medicine strength: mg, mcg, mg/mL, %
The strength on a pack tells you how much active ingredient is in each unit or in a set amount of liquid, cream or powder. This guide explains the units you will see, so you can match a pack to the right registry entry.
Tablet, capsule, syrup, suspension: dosage forms explained
The dosage form is the physical shape a medicine comes in. This guide describes the common forms you will see in the DGDA registry and on packs, so you can recognise what a label is describing.
What XR, SR, ER, DR and MUPS mean in a medicine name
Letters such as XR, SR or MUPS after a brand name or before "Tablet" tell you how the product is designed to release its medicine. This guide spells out what each abbreviation stands for.
IV, IM, SC and "IV infusion" labels explained
Injection labels are full of short abbreviations. This guide explains what they stand for, so you can read a label or a registry entry. It does not explain how to give an injection.
Reading combination medicines (e.g. "Paracetamol + Caffeine")
Some medicine products contain more than one active ingredient. Their generic name joins the ingredients with a plus sign, and the strength lists one amount for each. This guide shows how to read both.
How to read a medicine pack: brand, generic, strength, DAR, batch, expiry
A medicine box or strip carries a lot of small print. This guide walks through the details most packs show, what each one means, and which of them you can compare with the DGDA registry snapshot on this site.
How to read manufacturing and expiry dates on medicine packs
Medicine packs print a manufacturing date and an expiry date, often in small, abbreviated text. This guide explains the common labels and date formats so you can find and read them.
How to keep your family's medicine list (brand, generic, strength)
A clear, up-to-date list of the medicines each person in your family has been prescribed makes doctor visits, pharmacy trips and emergencies easier. This guide suggests what to write down and how to keep the list useful.
Finding healthcare
Hospitals, pharmacies, departments and the national emergency number.
How to find a hospital or clinic in your district
This site lists hospitals, clinics and other healthcare places across Bangladesh, mapped on OpenStreetMap. Here is how to narrow the list down to your district and what to check before you travel.
How to find a pharmacy in your area
The pharmacy list on this site shows where pharmacies are, based on OpenStreetMap. It does not show what they sell or charge. Here is how to use it well.
Checklist: preparing for a hospital visit (papers, reports, medicine list)
A little preparation can make a planned hospital or clinic visit smoother. This checklist covers the practical side only: confirming details before you leave, and the papers and information worth carrying.
999: Bangladesh's national emergency number (police, fire, ambulance)
In Bangladesh, 999 is the national emergency helpline. One toll-free number connects you to police, fire service and ambulance support. This page explains what it is and how to make your call as clear as possible.
Hospital department names explained (cardiology, neurology…)
Hospital signboards and prescriptions often use department names like cardiology, nephrology or ENT. This guide explains in plain words what each name refers to.
Using this site
How search works and where our hospital and pharmacy listings come from.
Searching medicine names in Bangla and English
This site has an English and a Bangla version, but the medicine names themselves come from the DGDA registry, where they are written in English letters. This guide explains what that means for searching and how to find a medicine quickly.
Hospital, clinic or pharmacy: what our listings mean
Every healthcare place on this site has a type and a label. This guide explains where those come from and how much weight to give them.
Hospital missing or wrong? How OpenStreetMap data works
The hospitals, clinics and pharmacies on this site come from OpenStreetMap. If one is missing or wrong, the lasting fix is usually on the map itself. Here is how that works.