Reading medicine names and labels
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.
What a combination medicine is
A combination medicine is a single product that contains two or more active ingredients. On a pack, and in the DGDA registry, the generic name of such a product lists every ingredient, joined with a plus sign (+). Each ingredient also has its own strength.
For example, the DGDA registry snapshot used on this site contains the generic "Caffeine + Paracetamol". A product with that generic is listed with the strength "65 mg + 500 mg": one amount for each of the two ingredients.
How the name is written
- Ingredients are separated by "+". "Caffeine + Paracetamol" means the product contains both caffeine and paracetamol.
- The order of names can differ between a pack and a registry. A pack may say "Paracetamol + Caffeine" while the registry says "Caffeine + Paracetamol". They describe the same combination.
- Some combinations have three or more ingredients, so the name can be long, for example "Abacavir + Lamivudine + Zidovudine" in the registry.
- Salt names are part of the ingredient name, for example "Metformin Hydrochloride" or "Bisoprolol Hemifumarate". Read them as one ingredient, not two.
How the strength lines up
The strength of a combination product is a list of amounts separated by "+". In the DGDA registry snapshot used on this site, a combination product's strength has one part for each ingredient, listed in the same order as the ingredients in the generic name.
- Write the ingredient names in the order shown on this site's medicine page.
- Write the strength parts in the order shown, splitting at each "+".
- Pair them up: the first name with the first amount, the second with the second, and so on.
- Check the units of each part. One part may be in mg and another in mcg, or a liquid may show an amount per mL.
Using the example above: "Caffeine + Paracetamol" with "65 mg + 500 mg" pairs Caffeine with 65 mg and Paracetamol with 500 mg. If the order on the pack is different, match each amount to its ingredient by name rather than by position, and ask a pharmacist if you are unsure.
Same ingredients, different products
Two products can share the same ingredients but have different strengths, different dosage forms or different makers. On this site, each generic page lists every registered product with that generic, so you can see the strength, form and manufacturer of each. A combination is a separate generic from each of its single ingredients: "Caffeine + Paracetamol" and "Paracetamol" have separate pages.
Caffeine + Paracetamol: registered products
Paracetamol: registered products
How to read medicine strength: mg, mcg, mg/mL, %
This guide explains how labels are written. It does not say what any combination is for or whether one product can replace another. Ask a registered doctor or pharmacist about any medicine.
Frequently asked questions
What does the "+" in a generic name mean?
How do I know which strength belongs to which ingredient?
Is "Paracetamol + Caffeine" the same as "Caffeine + Paracetamol"?
Can I swap a combination product for single-ingredient products?
This guide is general information only and is not medical advice. It does not tell you what any medicine is for or how to take it. For questions about your health or your medicines, ask a registered doctor or pharmacist.