Should medication names have a capital letter?

This is a frequently asked question about capital letters. If you are studying for the test, the simple answer is to copy the medication as it is written in the case notes.

For an answer which is transferable to everyday life, here are the rules about when to capitalise and when not to.

1. Generic drug names do not need a capital letter

• aspirin
• metformin
• metoprolol
• diazepam
• fluconazole

2. Brand names for drugs do need a capital letter

• Panadol
• Zyrtec
• Tylenol
• Claritin
• Eurax