Every Brand Name a Drug Has Screensaver
The Every Brand Name a Drug Has screensaver shows the RxNorm brand-name vocabulary, key-less from the US National Library of Medicine. Read end to end it is an accidental portrait of pharmaceutical naming. A random window each load, because the vocabulary is alphabetical and would otherwise be a permanent wall of A. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.
Live preview
Press ESC to leave fullscreen. Settings are saved in your browser only.
How the Every Brand Name a Drug Has screensaver works
The saver reads the source described above and draws it on a canvas — no account, no tracking.
The RxNorm brand-name vocabulary, key-less from the US National Library of Medicine. Read end to end it is an accidental portrait of pharmaceutical naming. A random window each load, because the vocabulary is alphabetical and would otherwise be a permanent wall of A.
It refreshes on a schedule, so what you see stays current.
Colours and any options can be changed in settings; nothing is stored beyond your own browser.
RxNorm and the language of drug names
RxNorm is produced by the US National Library of Medicine. Its job is to give normalized names and unique identifiers (RXCUIs) to medications, so that computer systems such as a pharmacy system, a hospital record and an insurer can share drug information unambiguously. It takes names from many source vocabularies, including ATC, DrugBank, SNOMED CT and FDA Structured Product Labels, and covers ingredients, strengths, dose forms and brand names.
This saver displays the brand-name entries. In RxNorm a brand name is usually shown as it appears on packaging, with extra packaging detail removed, and a branded drug's normalized name follows the pattern ingredient, strength, dose form, with the brand in brackets. RxNorm covers prescription and many over-the-counter drugs in the US; it leaves out things like supplements, devices and contrast media.
The vocabulary is alphabetical, so a window is chosen at random on each load. What you see is a sample of names in the vocabulary, not a recommendation, a list of what is currently on sale, or information about what any product does.
A worked example
The RxNorm brand-name vocabulary, key-less from the US National Library of Medicine. Read end to end it is an accidental portrait of pharmaceutical naming. A random window each load, because the vocabulary is alphabetical and would otherwise be a permanent wall of A.
Settings & tips
- Accent and Background recolour the display.
- Every value on screen comes from the live source — nothing is simulated.
- Press ESC to leave fullscreen.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this real data?
- Yes — it comes from the source named on this page and is refreshed on a schedule.
- Is a key needed?
- No. This source is fully key-less.
- Is it free?
- Yes, and it runs entirely in your browser.
- Does this show approved or available drugs?
- Not necessarily. The vocabulary combines names from many source lists, so presence on screen does not mean a drug is on sale today.
- Why start at a random point?
- The list is in alphabetical order, so reading from the start would show only names beginning with A for a very long time. A random window gives variety.