EML Flashcards
What are essential medicines?
Essential medicines are those that satisfy the priority healthcare needs of the population.
Why should the selection of medicines be supported?
Supports better health care, better drug management, and lower costs.
What is the importance of a short list of medicines?
A limited range leads to better health care and better drug management.
Define the National List of Essential Medicines.
A list that includes essential medicines identified for a country’s healthcare needs.
What are Standard Treatment Guidelines?
Guidelines that outline the treatment protocols for specific health conditions.
What is a Medicine Formulary?
A guide on medicines approved for use in the healthcare system by authorized prescribers.
What problems led to the evolution of the Essential Medicines List (EML) in the 1970s?
- Limited resources
- Large populations without access to essential medicines
- High budget on medicines
- Poor healthcare despite manpower availability
What are the criteria for selecting essential medicines?
- Disease prevalence
- Evidence on safety and efficacy
- Comparative cost-effectiveness
What is the purpose of essential medicines?
To be available within functioning health systems at all times, in adequate quantities, with assured quality.
Why is it necessary to select medicines?
Not all medicines are necessary or relevant, and there is a limited budget.
What process should be used for selecting medicines?
- Identify health problems
- Define Standard Treatment Guidelines
- Identify medicines needed
What records should be used to identify health problems?
- Epidemiological data
- Admission records
- Mortality data
What criteria are used in the selection of medicines?
- Disease pattern
- Training and experience of prescribers
- Level of health facility
- Safety, efficacy, quality, cost, and availability
- Budget availability
- Population structure
True or False: Committee members should have business relationships with the medicine industry.
False
What is the role of the WHO Expert Committee on Selection and Rational Use of Medicines?
To review the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines every 2 years.
List advantages of having a limited number of essential medicines.
- Lower price
- More competition
- Focused education effort
- Reduced confusion
- Increased adherence to treatment
- Improved medicine availability
What is an International Nonproprietary Name (INN)?
The official name of a medicine, regardless of the manufacturer.
What are the advantages of purchasing and prescribing generic medicine?
- More informative than brand names
- Often cheaper
- Facilitates product substitution
What are common pitfalls in medicine selection?
- Too many unnecessary medicines
- Inconsistent supply of needed medicines
- Variation in medicine use
- Lack of consideration for illness burden
- Often lack clinical evidence
What are Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs)?
Guidelines that provide disease-oriented information to prescribers.
What is the purpose of a formulary?
To standardize and rationalize medicine selection and use.
Why is it important to periodically review the formulary?
Clinical practice changes and new medicines are introduced while old ones may become obsolete.
What is the first step in selecting medicines according to the summary?
Select medicines on the basis of need.
Fill in the blank: The formulary process should be _______ correct and transparent.
[ethically]
