Essential medicines

The List of Essential Medicines is a listing of drugs compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO). The medicines on the list cover the basic needs of a society, and they should be affordable and easy to get, according to the WHO.

The list was first published in 1977. It is reviewed every two years. In 2023, the WHO published the 23rd version of its List of Essential Medications.

 Contents 
The 2023 version of the List includes 30 categories of essential medications:

 Anesthetics and medical gases like oxygen, propofol, lidocaine, and midazolam
 Pain medicines like aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen, morphine, and fentanyl
 Anti-allergy medicines like epinephrine
 Antidotes like atropine and naloxone (prescribed in the United States as Narcan)
 Medicines for diseases of the nervous system, including anti-seizure drugs and anti-Parkinson's drugs like levodopa
 Anti-infective medications, including antibiotics, anti-fungals, and antivirals
 Anti-migraine medicines like sumatriptan
 Anti-cancer drugs like methotrexate and tamoxifen
 Ready-to-use therapeutic food
 Medicines affecting the blood, including blood thinners like warfarin
 Blood products
 Cardiovascular medicines to treat heart rhythm problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart failure
 Medicines to treat skin problems, like calamine and hydrocortisone
 Medicines used for diagnosis (like certain eyedrops)
 Antiseptics and disinfectants like alcohol-based sanitizers
 Diuretics like furosemide and spironolactone
 Medicines for gastrointestinal problems like ulcers, vomiting, and diarrhea
 Medicines for endocrine disorders, including estrogens and insulin
 Immunological medicines including vaccines, anti-rabies antibodies, antivenom, and diphtheria antitoxin
 Muscle relaxants like vecuronium
 Medicines for eye problems like infections and glaucoma
 Medicines for reproductive health and perinatal care, including contraceptives
 Peritoneal dialysis solution
 Medicines for mental and behavioral disorders like depression, anxiety, OCD, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and addictions (the list includes nicotine replacement therapy, methadone for opioid addiction, and naltrexone for alcohol addiction)
 Medicines for respiratory problems like asthma and COPD
 Medicines to correct dehydration and electrolyte problems, like oral rehydration salts
 Vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, calcium, riboflavin, thiamine, and iodine
 Ear, nose, and throat medicines
 Medicines for joint problems like gout
 Dental medicines like fluoride

 Recommendations 
The List also recommends which drugs should be used first to treat certain problems. For example, in its section on anti-infective medications, the List recommends using doxycycline as the first-choice treatment for cholera.

 Concerns 
There are two major problems with the list: First, there are a number of diseases which mainly occur in developing countries. Many people there cannot afford to pay high prices for drugs, which means pharmaceutical companies are not interested in developing new drugs for such diseases. Examples for such diseases are malaria or tuberculosis. The second problem is that certain drugs on the list are patented, and they are often expensive. Examples for the second kind of drugs are those used to treat AIDS.

According to a study done by the world bank, about a third of the world's population does not have access to these drugs.Priorities in Health.  World Bank 2006.

References

the List, english version

Category:Drugs