Essential drug concept

Dr. Fatema Chowdhury

Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology
Essential Drugs
Essential drugs are those that satisfy the health care
needs of the majority of population and should
therefore be available at all times, in adequate amount,
in appropriate dosage forms and in affordable price
throughout the country.
Essential Drugs
The choice of such drugs depends on
 Effectiveness and safety of drug
 Prevalence disease and morbidity pattern
 Available treatment facilities
 Training and experience of available personnel
 Financial resources
 Essential Drugs
 Bangladesh list of Essential Drugs, first published
in 1982
 In BDNF essential drug list of 1982 has been
revised and updated in 2008. Which contains 209
items of drugs.
12 items of drug for village health worker
33 items of drug for Upazila health complex
Rest items of drug for tertiary level or district hospital
Essential Drugs

 The essential drug list following NDP of 1982

have been revised and updated in 2016 which
contain 285 items.
 Essential drugs have been marked by symbol
(ED) in BDNF.
Essential Drugs
Objectives of essential drug programme:
 Improvement of available and safe drug
 Establishing quality control and assurance system
 Improving procurement, storage and distribution system for
medicines
 Encouraging rational prescribing and use of medicine
 Strengthening and health education programme
 Raising patient awareness
 Research and monitoring on all aspects of drugs use
Criteria of Essential Drugs-

• Pattern of prevalent disease in a country

• Availability of health facilities

• Availability of trained health manpower

• List of drugs to treat prevalent diseases along with

adequate data on efficacy, safety, suitability & cost
Criteria of Essential Drugs-

• In case of two or more similar drugs, choice should be

made on the basis of their relative efficacy, safety,
suitability & cost

• Most essential drug should be single

• Combination can only be recommended, in case of proven

advantage
Criteria of Essential Drugs-

 List should be periodically up-to-date to account

for changing disease pattern and availability of

better drugs or formulations
Essential Drugs-

Prescribing from the Essential Drug List is

• cost effective

• affordable and

• safe
Name of some essential drug from
Essential drug list
 Analgesics
 Paracetamol
 Aspirin
 Indomethacin
 Naproxen
Name of some essential drug from
Essential drug list
 Antibiotics
 Amoxycillin
 Ampicillin
 Cephradine
 Benzyl penicillin
 Tetracycline
 Doxycycline
 Metronidazole
Name of some essential drug from
Essential drug list

 Anti-hypertensive drugs
 Atenolol
 Methyldopa
 Captopril
 Enalapril
 Hydrochlorothiazide
Name of some essential drug from
Essential drug list
 Vitamins and minerals
 Vitamin- A
 Vitamin –B1
 Vitamin – B complex
 Vitamin – E
 Vitamin –C
 Iron
 Folic acid