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Health Policy Priorities in Health Projects Documents Priority Countries
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Right to Health Approach: Access, Quality, Acceptability, Determinants of Health
  Access to health services
  Quality of health services
  Access to Essential Drugs
  Integration of private and informal sector
  Community based health services and initiatives
Harmonisation and Alignment
Control of Major Communicable Diseases
Improving Reproductive Health
Priorities in Health

Access to Essential Drugs

The concept of essential medicines incorporates a continuous update of medicine selections, a reconsideration of newly developed therapeutic approaches, ensured drug quality and the need for continued development of better medicines. Essential medicines lists most commonly guide the procurement and supply of medicines in the public sector, influence medicine costs and medicine donations.

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Essential medicines are those that satisfy the priority health needs of the population. They are selected with due regard to disease prevalence, evidence of efficacy and safety, and comparative cost-effectiveness. Essential medicines are intended to be available within the context of functioning health systems at all times in adequate amounts, in the appropriate dosage forms, with assured quality, and at a price the individual and the community can afford. The implementation of the concept of essential medicines is intended to be flexible and adaptable to many different situations; exactly which medicines are regarded as essential remains a national responsibility. (WHO 2002)

Pharmaceutical products represent one of the largest household expenditures for health in developing countries. More importantly, illnesses and the need for respective drugs are a key reason for household impoverishment.

Weak procurement and supply systems, inadequate financing systems, high costs and non-availability of generic drugs especially prevent the poorest population groups from adequate access to much needed medication.

Strategies and policies to combat poverty and ensure access to health and pharmaceuticals need to be comprehensive and clearly oriented to ensure population-wide access to health services and pharmaceuticals. The promotion of generic drugs, adequate financing mechanisms and high quality standards should thus be addressed in major policy regulations.
Related SDC Projects
 
Community Health Care Project (Related Country: Tajikistan)
The goal of the project is to improve the health status of the community in general and the health of children under five years and women of reproductive age in particular.
Project Documentation
Resources
 

International Drug Price Indicator Guide
external Link

E-Drug
"An easy way to obtain and discuss current information on essential drugs, national drug policies and standard treatment guidelines. It is also a good source of information on upcoming conferences and courses, new publications, recent articles, and broader political (e.g. trade, patents, pricing) aspects of drug access."
external Link

15th WHO Model List of Essential Medicines and WHO Model Formulary
The WHO Model List of Essential Medicines has been updated every two years since 1977. The current version, the 14th list, dates from March 2007.
external Link

interportal.ch: Dossier Zugang zu Medikamenten
external Link

WHO and SEAOR
Health Systems Development / Essential Drugs and Medicines
external Link

 
Organisations
 

Health Action International
"HAI is a non-profit, global network of health, development, consumer and other public interest groups in more than 70 countries working for a more rational use of medicinal drugs. HAI represents the interests of consumers in drug policy and believes that all drugs marketed should be acceptably safe, effective, affordable and meet real medical needs."
external Link

WHO: Medicines
Medicines Policy and Standards, Technical Cooperation for Essential Drugs and Traditional Medicine.
external Link

MSF Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines
external Link

MSH Center for Pharmaceutical Management
external Link

WHO Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health (CIPIH)
external Link

 
Basics
 

25 years of essential medicines progress
A special edition of the WHO Essential Drugs Monitor (No.32, 2003)
external Link

Public health, innovation and intellectual property rights
Report of the WHO Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health (2006)
external Link

Global Principles for better health care
Economic Consulting (2002) Global Principles for better health care: A guide for policymakers. A Report for the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations (IFPMA) prepared by National Economic Research Associates
external Link

WHO: Essential Drugs Monitor
The Essential drugs monitor contains regular features on national drug policies, current pharmaceutical issues, rational drug use, access, operational research, educational strategies and much more.
external Link

Essential Medicines for Reproductive Health
Guiding Principles for their Inclusion on the National Medicines List (2006), Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH); United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) World Health Organization (WHO)
external Link

Essential Medicines (2006
Essential Medicines, Annual Report 2006, WHO
external Link

The Interagency List for Essential Medicines for Reproductive Health
Essential Medicines Strategy 2003-2007, Countries at the Core, WHO
external Link

Operational Principles for good pharmaceutical procurement
Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy, Interagency Pharmaceutical Coordination Group, Geneva, 1999
external Link

 
     
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