How many medicines were included in National List of Essential Medicines of India?

348 medicines
A total of 348 medicines (excluding repetitions) are present in NLEM 2011.

What is the WHO Essential Medicines List?

The WHO essential medicines list (EML) is a register of minimum medicine needs for every health-care system (Bloom, 2011). The basic concept is that high priority drugs should be available as part of a functioning health system at all times for all people, guiding physicians to evidence-based and rational prescribing.

How many total medicines are there in India?

(It is to be noted that formulations of certain medicines are listed at different levels but as item, they are counted as one. The total number of medicines remains 376).

What is nlem list?

The Government of India has released the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2021, adding 39 drugs including anti-cancer, anti-diabetes and antiretroviral drugs to the list. It has also deleted 16 drugs from the NLEM 2015, including erythromycin and a combination of lamivudine.

How many drugs are under nlem?

With this, the final NLEM 2021 now contains 399 essential medicines, up from 376 drugs that are currently under direct price control. These 39 commonly used medications include drugs to fight cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis and HIV apart from some antivirals and several others used in Covid-19 therapy.

What are essential drugs?

Essential medicines are those that satisfy the priority health care needs of a population. They are selected with due regard to disease prevalence and public health relevance, evidence of efficacy and safety and comparative cost-effectiveness.

What are OTC drugs in India?

‘Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medicines’ means drugs which are legally allowed to be sold by pharmacists without need for a prescription. The term does not have a legal definition in India. Technically, drugs are OTC unless they are specifically stated as prescription only drugs.

Which is the most popular medicine in India?

Cardiac medication has emerged as the highest-selling drug therapy in India over the past one decade, while anti-diabetics drugs have catapulted to among the top five therapies sold in India during this period.

What are the top 10 prescription drugs in India?

The 50 most prescribed drugs in 2020

  • Amoxicillin 500 mg.
  • Vitamin D 50000 IU.
  • Ibuprofen 800 mg.
  • Cetirizine hydrochloride 10 mg.
  • Azithromycin 250 mg.
  • Amlodipine besylate 10 mg.
  • Albuterol sulfate 108 mcg/act.
  • Cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride 10 mg.

What is the importance of the Essential Medicines List in India?

This is especially important for a resource limited country like India. The list of essential medicines is intended to have a positive impact on the availability and rational use of medicines The first country in the world to compose its EML was Tanzania in 1970.

What are the medicines on the National List of Essential Medicines?

Thiamine 352. Thiopentone 353. Timolol 354. Tiotropium 355. Tramadol 356. Tranexamic acid 357. Trastuzumab 358. Trihexyphenidyl 359. Tropicamide 360. Tuberculin, Purified Protein derivative 361. Vancomycin 362. Vecuronium 363. Verapamil 364. Vinblastine 365. Vincristine 366. Vitamin A 367. Warfarin National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2015

When is a medicine no longer a national health concern in India?

The disease burden for which a medicine is indicated is no longer a national health concern in India. In case of antimicrobials, if the resistance pattern has rendered a medicine ineffective in Indian context.

What is the who model list of Essential Medicines?

Subsequently, the first WHO model list of essential medicines was published in the year 1977 which contained 186 medicines. It stated that essential medicines were “of utmost importance, basic, indispensable and necessary for the health and needs of the population” and criteria for selection were based on efficacy, safety, quality and total cost.