The Selection and Use of Essential Medicines - WHO Technical Report Series, No. 920: 3. Update on current activities: 3.7 The WHO Essential Medicines Library

The Selection and Use of Essential Medicines - WHO Technical Report Series, No. 920
(2003; 137 pages)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Open session
3. Update on current activities
	3.1 Dissemination of the previous report of the Expert Committee (including the 12th Model List)
	3.2 The twenty-fifth anniversary of the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines
	3.3 The WHO model formulary
	3.4 Review of the New Emergency Health Kit
	3.5 Review of essential medicines for reproductive health
	3.6 Report of an ad hoc Advisory Committee on priority vaccines
	3.7 The WHO Essential Medicines Library
	3.8 Promoting rational use of essential medicines
		3.8.1 Update on activities to contain antimicrobial resistance
		3.8.2 Guidelines for drugs and therapeutic committees
		3.8.3 WHO database on rational drug use studies
4. Changes made in revising the Model List
	4.1 Applications for additions
		4.1.1 Amodiaquine
		4.1.2 Azithromycin
		4.1.3 Ibuprofen (paediatric formulation)
		4.1.4 Insulin semilente
		4.1.5 Miconazole nitrate buccal tablets
		4.1.6 Misoprostol
		4.1.7 Valaciclovir
	4.2 Applications for deletions
		4.2.1 Ethinylestradiol + levonorgestrel tablets (50µg + 250µg, pack of four)
		4.2.2 Nonoxynol
	4.3 Applications for addition of information
		4.3.1 Anti-leprosy medicines
	4.4 Other changes
		4.4.1 Oral rehydration salts
		4.4.2 Streptokinase
5. Reviews of sections of the Model List
	5.1 "Fast-track" procedure for deleting items from the Model List
	5.2 Review of core versus complementary listing of medicines
	5.3 Review of the use of the square box symbol (including a review of the corticosteroids)
	5.4 Review of the antihypertensive medicines
6. Priorities for future reviews
7. Recommendations
	7.1 Additions, deletions and other changes to the Model List
	7.2 Core versus complementary listing of medicines
	7.3 Use of the square box symbol (including review of the corticosteroids
	7.4 Review of the antihypertensive medicines
	7.5 Future priorities
References
Annex 1 The 13th WHO Model List of Essential Medicines
Annex 2 The Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system¹
Alphabetical list of essential medicines (with ATC classification code numbers)
Selected WHO Publications of Related Interest

3.7 The WHO Essential Medicines Library

Work on the WHO Essential Medicines Library is continuing. In its current format, it contains searchable versions of the 12th Model List and the WHO model formulary, and links to the Management Services for Health (MSH) International Drug Price Indicator Guide and the web site of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Drug Statistics Methodology, Oslo, Norway. A central "Medicine link page" (giving the International Nonproprietary Name (INN), dosage(s), ATC classification code number(s) and justification for inclusion) has been prepared for each item in the Model List and links to key indications, disease summaries, systematic reviews and WHO clinical guidelines. These will supplement the links to the Model List, the WHO model formulary and the INN web site, and to external web sites such as that containing details of the ATC classification system. It is expected that the developmental version will be available for public access during the course of 2003.