Trademark (Proprietary Name) Evaluation

Med-E.R.R.S. works with pharmaceutical companies to determine the likelihood that proposed trademarks may be vulnerable to user error. Med-E.R.R.S. has developed a service for evaluating the safety of trademarks called the ERRS MODEL^TM. The ERRS MODEL incorporates various techniques recommended by the FDA to evaluate the safety of trademarks including Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA).

The goal of the ERRS MODEL is to simulate the drug use process of a client’s product to expose potential problem areas, so that actions can be taken to minimize or eliminate possible errors. Thus, the evaluation process takes into account the environments in which the product will likely be used, stored, ordered, transcribed, dispensed, and administered.

Systematic application of the ERRS MODEL uncovers potential problems arising from look-alike and sound-alike names. It also reveals other potential nomenclature problems with the proposed trademark, such as confusion with medical terminology, jargon, abbreviations, associated equipment, and laboratory tests.

Med-E.R.R.S. also reviews each trademark candidate from the perspective of worldwide regulatory authorities, based on their known criteria. While we can't predict regulatory response to trademarks and package labels, it is possible to anticipate potential problems based on our knowledge of their criteria. The evaluation also includes consideration of USAN and WHO criteria to identify potential confusion with nonproprietary drug names.