Reading medicine names and labels
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.
The main names
- Brand name (trade name): usually the largest text on the pack. It is the name the company gives its product.
- Generic name: the active ingredient or ingredients, often printed under or near the brand name. Combination products list several ingredients joined with "+".
- Manufacturer: the pharmaceutical company that makes the product, usually shown with its logo and address.
Different companies can sell the same generic under different brand names, so the generic name is the part that tells you what the product contains.
Generic name vs brand name: what's the difference?
Strength and dosage form
- Strength: how much active ingredient the product contains, for example "500 mg" per tablet, or an amount per mL for liquids. Combination products show one amount per ingredient.
- Dosage form: the physical form of the product, such as tablet, capsule, syrup, suspension, cream, drops or injection.
- Letters after the name or form, such as XR, SR or ER, are part of how the product is described. They do not change the generic name.
Registration number
Many packs print a registration number, often labelled "DAR No." or similar. In the national DGDA drug registry, each registered product is identified by its DAR number together with its brand name. This is the number you can look up in the registry snapshot on this site.
Look up a DAR number or brand in the registry snapshot
Batch number and dates
- Batch or lot number: often labelled "Batch No.", "B. No." or "Lot". It identifies the production batch the pack came from. Keep it if you ever need to report a problem with the product.
- Manufacturing date: often labelled "Mfg", "MFD" or "Mfg. Date".
- Expiry date: often labelled "Exp" or "EXP". Do not use a medicine past its expiry date; ask a pharmacist what to do with it.
The registry snapshot does not contain batch numbers or dates. Those are printed for each production run, so you can only read them from the pack itself.
A simple check routine
- Read the brand name, generic name, strength and form on the pack.
- Search the brand name or DAR number on this site.
- Compare the generic, strength, form and manufacturer with the registry entry.
- Read the expiry date and make sure the pack is not damaged or opened.
- If anything does not match or looks wrong, ask the pharmacist, and consider reporting it to DGDA.
A match with the registry snapshot shows that a product with those details was registered. It does not prove that a particular physical pack is genuine.
How to report a suspected fake or substandard medicine to DGDA
Reading a pack is not the same as knowing how to use the medicine. For how to take a medicine, or whether it suits you, ask a registered doctor or pharmacist.
Frequently asked questions
Which name on the pack tells me what the medicine contains?
Where is the DAR number on a pack?
Can this site check my batch number or expiry date?
If the pack matches the registry, is it definitely genuine?
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.