Pay Close Attention to Drug Names That Have Extended-Release Abbreviations
October 2016
We're getting questions about how to avoid mix-ups with "extended-release" abbreviations...CD, ER, SR, XL, etc.
These abbreviations usually mean a drug has a special "MODIFIED-release" mechanism that alters how and where a med is released.
It's confusing because there are NO standard meanings for extended-release abbreviations. For example, Metadate CD and Cardizem CD both have the abbreviation for controlled-delivery (CD) in their names. But they don't deliver the med the same way.
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