National List of Essential Medicines of India - Central Drugs ...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The National list of essential medicines is one of the key instruments in balanced
healthcare delivery system of a country which inter alia includes accessible,
affordable quality medicine at all the primary, secondary, tertiary levels of
healthcare. Realizing this GOI, MOHFW decided to have its own essential
medicines list. The first National List of Essential Medicines of India was prepared
and released in 1996. This list was subsequently revised in 2003.
To address the issues of changing disease prevalence, treatment modalities,
introduction of newer medicines and identification of unacceptable risk-benefit
profile as well as therapeutic profile of some medicines, the GOI, MOHFW
considered the need for updating the NLEM.
Revision of NLEM was also based on the two important national reference
documents i.e., Indian Pharmacopeia 2010 and National Formulary of India, 4th
Edition, 2010. While the former deals with the standards of identity, purity and
strength of medicines the later provides the information on rational use of
medicines particularly for healthcare professionals.
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