Medication Entry Names: When the Name on Your Bottle Doesn’t Match the Name in HeyMOE

HeyMOE Tip

If your medication name looks slightly different in HeyMOE than what’s on your bottle — don’t panic. One drug can often has multiple names, but they're still exactly the same drug. Here are some common examples.

If you’ve ever tried to enter a medication into HeyMOE and thought, “Wait… why isn’t it finding my drug?” — you’re not alone! 

Sometimes the name printed on your prescription bottle looks slightly different from the name listed in HeyMOE (or even on Medicare.gov). But here’s the good news: it’s usually the same medication — just listed under its official chemical name.

Why the Names Don’t Always Match

Drug names can get… complicated.
Pharmacists, manufacturers, and Medicare all follow slightly different naming conventions.

For example:

• Your bottle might say Alendronate Sodium

• But Medicare (and HeyMOE) lists it as Alendronic Acid

Same drug. Same dosage. Same purpose.  Just two different ways to describe the same compound.

This happens because the FDA’s database (which Medicare and HeyMOE both use) stores medications by their base chemical name, not the version that appears on most pharmacy labels.

Common Examples

(We’ll keep adding more examples here as new cases come up.)

What To Do

If you can’t find your medication by the exact name on your bottle:

1. Try typing just the first few letters — e.g., “alendron” instead of “alendronate sodium.”

2. Look for a similar name ending in “acid,” “hydrochloride,” or “sulfate.” Those are common chemical naming differences.

3. If you’re still unsure, reach out! Our team is happy to confirm whether the drug you see on your bottle matches what’s in HeyMOE.