WHO’S revised drug strategy, as adopted in resolution WHA39.27 of the Thirty-ninth World Health Assembly in 1986, calls for the preparation of model prescribing information, which is being developed to complement WHO’s Model List of Essential Drugs.¹ The objective is to provide source material for adaptation by national authorities, particularly in developing countries, that wish to develop national drug formularies, drug compendia and similar material.

¹The use of essential drugs. Eighth report of the WHO Expert Committee. 1997 (WHO Technical Report Series, No 882).

The information is to be regarded as illustrative rather than normative. It is appreciated that it is not possible to develop an information sheet on a specific drug that is appropriate to circumstances prevailing in each of WHO’s Member States and that some countries have already formally adopted texts of their own that have a statutory connotation.

Internationally accredited experts have reviewed this text. Particular thanks are extended to Dr Rachel Baggaley, HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections, ASD/WHO, Geneva, Dr Pedro Cahn, Fernandez Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Professor David Cohn, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, USA, Dr Robert Colebunders, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium, Dr David Cooper, University of New South Wales, Sydney. Australia, Professor Jean-Pierre Coulard, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, Paris France, Dr Mary R. Couper, Drug Selection and Information DMP/WHO, Geneva, Professeur Kevin De Cock, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA, Dr Mary Ann De Groote, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, USA, Dr Peter Godfrey-Faussett, Global Programme on Tuberculosis, WHO, Geneva, Dr Robin Gray, Action Programme on Essential Drugs DAP/WHO, Geneva, Dr Eli Katabira Taso, Kampala, Uganda, Dr Dermot Maher, Global Programme on Tuberculosis, WHO, Geneva, Dr Adam Malin, London Chest Hospital, London, UK, Dr Danielle Mercey, University College of London Medical School, London, UK, Dr Dale Needham, University of Toronto, Canada, Dr Jopseph Perriëns, Policy, Strategy and Research, UNAIDS, Geneva, Professor Anton Pozniak, King’s College Teaching Hospital, London, UK, Dr Mario Raviglione, Global Programme on Tuberculosis, WHO, Geneva, Mrs Renaud-Thery, Action Programme on Essential Drugs, DAP/WHO, Geneva, Dr Badara Samb, Institut de Médecine et Epidémiologie, Hôpital Claude Bernard Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Dr Lorenzo Savioli, Division of Control of Tropical Diseases, WHO, Geneva, Dr Eric van Praag, HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections, ASD/WHO, Geneva, and Dr Connie Zulu-Osborne, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia