List of World Health Organization Essential Medicines

List of World Health Organization Essential Medicines is a model list of essential medicines created by the World Health Organization.This list is based on the 15^th edition (March 2007). [cite web
url=http://www.who.int/entity/medicines/publications/EssMedList15.pdf
title=15th edition (March 2007)
accessdate=2007-07-01
format=pdf
month=March
year=1943]

A † indicates the medicine is a complementary item.

Anesthetics

General anesthetics and oxygen

* Halothane
* Ketamine
* Nitrous Oxide
* Oxygen
* Thiopental

Local anesthetics

* Bupivacaine
* Ephedrine †
* Lidocaine
* Lidocaine+epinephrine

Preoperative medication and sedation for short-term procedures

* Atropine
* Diazepam
* Morphine
* Promethazine

Analgesics, antipyretics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, medicines used to treat gout and disease modifying agents in rheumatoid disorders

Non-opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIMs)

* Acetylsalicylic acid
* Ibuprofen
* Paracetamol

Opioid analgesics

* Codeine
* Morphine

Medicines to treat gout

* Allopurinol

Disease modifying agents used in rheumatoid disorders (DMARDs)

* Chloroquine
* Azathioprine †
* Methotrexate †
* Penicillamine †
* Sulfasalazine †

Antiallergics and medicines used in anaphylaxis

* Chlorphenamine
* Dexamethasone
* Epinephrine
* Hydrocortisone
* Prednisolone

Antidotes and other substances used in poisonings

Non-specific

* Activated carbon

pecific

* Acetylcysteine
* Atropine
* Calcium gluconate
* Deferoxamine
* Dimercaprol
* DL-Methionine
* Methylthioninium chloride
* Naloxone
* Penicillamine
* Potassium ferric hexacyano-ferrate
* Sodium calcium edetate
* Sodium nitrite
* Sodium thiosulfate

Anticonvulsants/antiepileptics

* Carbamazepine
* Diazepam
* Ethosuximide †
* Magnesium sulfate
* Phenobarbital
* Phenytoin
* Valproic acid

Anti-infective medicines

Anthelminthics

Intestinal anthelminthics

* Albendazole
* Levamisole
* Mebendazole
* Niclosamide
* Praziquantel
* Pyrantel

Antifilarials

* Diethylcarbamazine †
* Ivermectin
* Suramin sodium †

Antischistosomals and antitrematode medicine

* Oxamniquine †
* Praziquantel
* Triclabendazole

Antibacterials

Beta Lactam medicines

* Amoxicillin
* Ampicillin
* Benzathine benzylpenicillin
* Benzylpenicillin
* Cefazolin
* Cefixime
* Ceftazidime †
* Ceftriaxone †
* Cloxacillin
* Co-amoxiclav (Amoxicillin+clavulanic acid)
* Imipenem/cilastatin (Imipenem+cilastatin) †
* Phenoxymethylpenicillin
* Procaine benzylpenicillin

Other antibacterials

* Azithromycin
* Chloramphenicol
* Ciprofloxacin
* Clindamycin †
* Co-trimoxazole (Sulfamethoxazole+trimethoprim)
* Doxycycline
* Erythromycin
* Gentamicin
* Metronidazole
* Nitrofurantoin
* Spectinomycin
* Sulfadiazine †
* Trimethoprim
* Vancomycin †

Antileprosy medicines

* Clofazimine
* Dapsone
* Rifampicin

Antituberculosis medicines

* Amikacin †
* p-aminosalicylic acid †
* Capreomycin †
* Cycloserine †
* Ethambutol
* Ethionamide †
* Isoniazid
* Isoniazid+ethambutol
* Kanamycin †
* Ofloxacin †
* Pyrazinamide
* Rifampicin
* Rifampicin+isoniazid
* Rifampicin+isoniazid+ethambutol
* Rifampicin+isoniazid+pyrazinamide
* Rifampicin+isoniazid+pyrazinamide+ethambutol
* Streptomycin

Antifungal medicines

* Amphotericin B †
* Clotrimazole
* Fluconazole
* Flucytosine †
* Griseofulvin
* Nystatin
* Potassium iodide †

Antiviral medicines

Antiherpes medicines

* Acyclovir

Antiretrovirals

Nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors

* Abacavir (ABC)
* Didanosine (ddI)
* Emtricitabine (FTC)
* Lamivudine (3TC)
* Stavudine (d4T)
* Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)
* Zidovudine (ZDV or AZT)

Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors

* Efavirenz (EGV or EFZ)
* Nevirapine (NVP)

Protease inhibitors

* Indinavir (IDV)
* Lopinavir+ritonavir (LPV/r)
* Nelfinavir (NFV)
* Ritonavir
* Saquinavir (SQV)

Combination drugs

* Efavirenz+emtricitabine+tenofovir
* Emtricitabine+tenofovir
* Stavudine+lamivudine+nevirapine
* Zidovudine+lamivudine
* Zidovudine+lamivudine+nevirapine

Other antivirals

* Ribavirin

Antiprotozoal medicines

Antiamoebic and antigiardiasis medicines

* Diloxanide
* Metronidazole

Antileishmaniasis medicines

* Amphotericin B †
* Meglumine antimoniate
* Pentamidine †

Antimalarial medicines

For curative treatment

* Amodiaquine
* Artemether
* Artemether+lumefantrine
* Artesunate
* Chloroquine
* Doxycycline
* Mefloquine
* Primaquine
* Quinine
* Sulfadoxine+pyrimethamine

For prophylaxis

* Chloroquine
* Doxycycline
* Mefloquine
* Proguanil

Antipneumocytosis and antioxoplasmosis medicines

* Pentamidine †
* Pyrimethamine
* Sulfamethoxazole+trimethoprim

Antitrypanosomal medicines

African trypanosomiasis

* Eflornithine
* Melarsoprol
* Pentamidine
* Suramin sodium

American trypanosomiasis

* Benznidazole
* Nifurtimox

Antimigraine medicines

For treatment of acute attack

* Acetylsalicylic acid
* Paracetamol

For prophylaxis

* Propranolol

Antineoplastic, immunosuppressives and medicines used in palliative care

Immunosuppressive medicines

* Azathioprine †
* Ciclosporin †

Cytotoxic medicines

* Asparaginase †
* Bleomycin †
* Calcium folinate †
* Chlorambucil †
* Cisplatin †
* Cyclophosphamide †
* Cytarabine †
* Dacarbazine †
* Dactinomycin †
* Daunorubicin †
* Doxorubicin †
* Etoposide †
* Fluorouracil †
* Mercaptopurine †
* Methotrexate †
* Procarbazine †
* Vinblastine †
* Vincristine †

Hormones and antihormones

* Dexamethasone †
* Hydrocortisone †
* Prednisone †
* Tamoxifen †

Medicines used in palliative care

None

Antiparkinsonism medicines

* Biperiden
* Levodopa+carbidopa

Medicines affecting the blood

Antianaemia medicines

* Ferrous salt
* Ferrous salt+folic acid
* Folic acid
* Hydroxocobalamin

Medicines affecting coagulation

* Heparin sodium
* Phytomenadione
* Protamine sulfate
* Warfarin

Blood products and plasma substitutes

Plasma substitutes

* Dextran 70

Plasma fractions for specific use

* Human normal immunoglobulin †
* Factor VIII concentrate †
* Factor IX complex (II, VII, IX, X concentrate)

Cardiovascular medicines

Antianginal medicines

* Atenolol
* Glyceryl trinitrate
* Isosorbide dinitrate
* Verapamil

Antiarrhythmic medicines

* Atenolol
* Digoxin
* Epinephrine
* Lidocaine
* Procainamide †
* Quinidine †
* Verapamil

Antihypertensive medicines

* Amlodipine
* Atenolol
* Enalapril
* Hydralazine (for acute, severe pregnancy-induced hypertension only)
* Hydrochlorothiazide
* Methyldopa
* Sodium nitroprusside †

Medicines used in heart failure

* Digoxin
* Dopamine
* Enalapril
* Furosemide
* Hydrochlorothiazide

Antithrombotic medicines

* Acetylsalicylic acid
* Streptokinase †

Lipid-lowering agents

* Simvastatin

Dermatological medicines (topical)

Antifungal medicines

* Benzoic acid+salicylic acid
* Miconazole
* Selenium sulfide †
* Sodium thiosulfate

Anti-infective medicines

* Methylrosanilinium chloride
* Neomycin sulfate+bacitracin
* Potassium permanganate
* Silver sulfadiazine

Anti-inflammatory and antipruritic medicines

* Betamethasone
* Calamine lotion
* Hydrocortisone

Astringent medicines

* Aluminum diacetate

Medicines affecting skin differentiation and proliferation

* Benzoyl peroxide
* Coal tar
* Dithranol
* Fluorouracil
* Podophyllum resin
* Salicylic acid
* Urea

cabicides and pediculicides

* Benzyl benzoate
* Permethrin

Diagnostic agents

Ophthalmic medicines

* Fluorescin
* Tropicamide

Radiocontrast media

* Amidotrizoate
* Barium sulfate
* Iohexol
* Meglumine iotroxate †

Disinfectants and antiseptics

Antiseptics

* Chlorhexidine
* Ethanol
* Polyvidone iodine

Disinfectants

* Chlorine base compound
* Chloroxylenol
* Glutaral

Diuretics

* Amiloride
* Furosemide
* Hydrochlorothiazide
* Mannitol
* Spironolactone

Gastrointestinal medicines

Antacids and other antiulcer medicines

* Aluminium hydroxide
* Ranitidine
* Magnesium hydroxide

Antiemetic medicines

* Metoclopramide
* Promethazine

Anti-inflammatory medicines

* Hydrocortisone †
* Sulfasalazine

Laxatives

* Senna

Medicines used in diarrhea

Oral rehydration

* Oral rehydration salts

Medicines for diarrhea in children

* Zinc sulfate

Antidiarrheal (symptomatic) medicines in adults

* Codeine

Hormones, other endocrine medicines and contraceptives

Adrenal hormones and synthetic substitutes

See 3.

Androgens

* Testosterone †

Contraceptives

Oral hormonal contraceptives

* Ethinylestradiol+levonorgestrel
* Ethinylestradiol+norethisterone
* Levonorgestrel

Injectable hormonal contraceptives

* Medroxyprogesterone acetate
* Medroxyprogesterone acetate+estradiol cypionate
* Norethisterone enantate

Intrauterine devices

* Copper-containing IUD

Barrier methods

* Condoms
* Diaphragms

Implantable contraceptives

* Levonorgestrel-releasing implant

Estrogens

* Ethinylestradiol

Insulins and other antidiabetic agents

* Glibenclamide
* Insulin injection
* Intermediate-acting insulin
* Metformin

Ovulation inducers

* Clomifene †

Progesterones

* Medroxyprogesterone acetate †
* Norethisterone

Thyroid hormones and antithyroid medicines

* Levothyroxine
* Potassium iodide
* Propylthiouracil

Immunologicals

Diagnostic agents

* Tuberculin

era and immunoglobulins

* Anti-D immunoglobulin
* Antitetanus immunoglobulin
* Antivenom immunoglobulin
* Diphtheria antitoxin
* Rabies immunoglobulin

Vaccines

* Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine for tuberculosis
* Cholera vaccine
* Diphtheria vaccine
* Hepatitis A vaccine
* Hepatitis B vaccine
* "Haemophilus influenzae" type b vaccine
* Influenza vaccine
* Japanese encephalitis vaccine
* Measles vaccine
* Meningococcal meningitis vaccine
* Mumps vaccine
* Pertussis vaccine
* Pneumococcal vaccine
* Poliomyelitis vaccine
* Rabies vaccine
* Rotavirus vaccine
* Rubella vaccine
* Tetanus vaccine
* Typhoid vaccine
* Varicella vaccine
* Yellow fever vaccine

Muscle relaxants (peripherally-acting) and cholinesterase inhibitors

* Alcuronium
* Neostigmine
* Pyridostigmine †
* Suxamethonium
* Vecuronium

Ophthalmological preparations

Anti-infective agents

* Acyclovir
* Gentamicin
* Tetracycline

Anti-inflammatory agents

* Prednisone

Local anesthetics

* Tetracaine

Miotics and antiglaucoma medicines

* Acetazolamide
* Pilocarpine
* Timolol

Mydriatics

* Atropine
* Epinephrine †

Oxytocics and antioxytocics

Oxytocics

* Ergometrine
* Mifepristone-misoprostol †
* Misoprostol †
* Oxytocin

Antioxytocics

* Nifedipine

Peritoneal dialysis solution

* Intraperitoneal dialysis solution †

Psychotherapeutic medicines

Medicines used in psychotic disorders

* Chlorpromazine
* Fluphenazine
* Haloperidol

Medicines used in mood disorders

Medicines used in depressive disorders

* Amitriptyline
* Fluoxetine

Medicines used in bipolar disorders

* Carbamazepine
* Lithium carbonate
* Valproic acid

Medicines used in generalized anxiety and sleep disorders

* Diazepam

Medicines used for obsessive compulsive disorders and panic attacks

* Clomipramine

Medicines used in substance dependence programs

* Methadone †

Medicines acting on the respiratory tract

Antiasthmatic and medicines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

* Beclometasone
* Epinepherine
* Ipratropium bromide
* Salbutamol

Other medicines acting on the respiratory tract

* Caffeine citrate

olutions correcting water, electrolyte and acid-base disturbances

Oral

* Oral rehydration salts (see 17.5.1)
* Potassium chloride

Parenteral

* Glucose
* Glucose with sodium chloride
* Potassium chloride
* Sodium chloride
* Sodium hydrogen carbonate
* Sodium lactate

Miscellaneous

* Water for injection

Vitamins and minerals

* Ascorbic acid
* Calcium gluconate †
* Ergocalciferol
* Iodine
* Nicotinamide
* Pyridoxine
* Retinol
* Riboflavin
* Sodium fluoride
* Thiamine

References