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:

1. Anesthetics and medical gases like oxygen, propofol, lidocaine, and midazolam
2. Pain medicines like aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen, morphine, and fentanyl
3. Anti-allergy medicines like epinephrine
4. Antidotes like atropine and naloxone (prescribed in the United States as Narcan)
5. Medicines for diseases of the nervous system, including anti-seizure drugs and anti-Parkinson's drugs like levodopa
6. Anti-infective medications, including antibiotics, anti-fungals, and antivirals
7. Anti-migraine medicines like sumatriptan
8. Anti-cancer drugs like methotrexate and tamoxifen
9. Ready-to-use therapeutic food
10. Medicines affecting the blood, including blood thinners like warfarin
11. Blood products
12. Cardiovascular medicines to treat heart rhythm problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart failure
13. Medicines to treat skin problems, like calamine and hydrocortisone
14. Medicines used for diagnosis (like certain eyedrops)
15. Antiseptics and disinfectants like alcohol-based sanitizers
16. Diuretics like furosemide and spironolactone
17. Medicines for gastrointestinal problems like ulcers, vomiting, and diarrhea
18. Medicines for endocrine disorders, including estrogens and insulin
19. Immunological medicines including vaccines, anti-rabies antibodies, antivenom, and diphtheria antitoxin
20. Muscle relaxants like vecuronium
21. Medicines for eye problems like infections and glaucoma
22. Medicines for reproductive health and perinatal care, including contraceptives
23. Peritoneal dialysis solution
24. 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)
25. Medicines for respiratory problems like asthma and COPD
26. Medicines to correct dehydration and electrolyte problems, like oral rehydration salts
27. Vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, calcium, riboflavin, thiamine, and iodine
28. Ear, nose, and throat medicines
29. Medicines for joint problems like gout
30. 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.

References

• the List, english version