The WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (EML), published by the World Health Organization (WHO), contains the medications considered to be most effective and safe to meet the most important needs in a health system. The list is frequently used by countries to help develop their own local lists of essential medicine. As of 2016, more than 155 countries have created national lists of essential medicines based on the World Health Organization's model list. This includes countries in both the developed and developing world.
The list is divided into core items and complementary items. The core items are deemed to be the most cost effective options for key health problems and are usable with little additional health care resources. The complementary items either require additional infrastructure such as specially trained health care providers or diagnostic equipment or have a lower cost-benefit ratio. About 25% of items are in the complementary list. Some medications are listed as both core and complementary. While most medications on the list are available as generic products, being under patent does not exclude inclusion.
The first list was published in 1977 and included 212 medications. The WHO updates the list every two years. The 14th list was published in 2005 and contained 306 medications. In 2015 the 19th edition of the list was published and contains around 410 medications. The 20th edition was published in 2017. The national lists contain between 334 and 580 medications.
A separate list for children up to 12 years of age, known as the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for Children (EMLc), was created in 2007 and is in its 5th edition. It was created to make sure that the needs of children were systematically considered such as availability of proper formulations. Everything in the children's list is also included in the main list. The list and notes are based on the 19th and 20th edition of the main list. An ? indicates a medicine is only on the complementary list.
Video WHO Model List of Essential Medicines
Anaesthetics
General anaesthetics and oxygen
Inhalational medicines
- Halothane
- Isoflurane
- Nitrous oxide
- Oxygen
Injectable medicines
- Ketamine
- Propofol
Local anaesthetics
- Bupivacaine
- Lidocaine
- Lidocaine/epinephrine
- Ephedrine? (not a local anaesthetic, included in this list for prevention of low blood pressure associated with spinal anaesthesia during caesarean section)
Preoperative medication and sedation for short-term procedures
- Atropine
- Midazolam
- Morphine
Maps WHO Model List of Essential Medicines
Medicines for pain and palliative care
Nonopioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin)
- Ibuprofen
- Paracetamol (acetaminophen)
Opioid analgesics
- Codeine
- Fentanyl
- Morphine
- Methadone
Medicines for other common symptoms in palliative care
- Amitriptyline
- Cyclizine
- Dexamethasone
- Diazepam
- Docusate sodium
- Fluoxetine
- Haloperidol
- Hyoscine butylbromide
- Hyoscine hydrobromide
- Lactulose
- Loperamide
- Metoclopramide
- Midazolam
- Ondansetron
- Senna
Antiallergics and medicines used in anaphylaxis
- Dexamethasone
- Epinephrine (adrenaline)
- Hydrocortisone
- Loratadine
- Prednisolone
Antidotes and other substances used in poisonings
Nonspecific
- Charcoal, activated
Specific
- Acetylcysteine
- Atropine
- Calcium gluconate
- Methylthioninium chloride (methylene blue)
- Naloxone
- Penicillamine
- Prussian blue
- Sodium nitrite
- Sodium thiosulfate
- Deferoxamine?
- Dimercaprol?
- Fomepizole?
- Sodium calcium edetate?
- Succimer?
Anticonvulsive medication
- Carbamazepine
- Diazepam
- Lamotrigine
- Lorazepam
- Magnesium sulfate
- Midazolam
- Phenobarbital
- Phenytoin
- Valproic acid (sodium valproate)
- Ethosuximide?
Anti-infective medicines
Antihelminthics
Intestinal antihelminthics
- Albendazole
- Ivermectin
- Levamisole
- Mebendazole
- Niclosamide
- Praziquantel
- Pyrantel
Antifilarials
- Albendazole
- Diethylcarbamazine
- Ivermectin
Antischistosomals and other antinematode medicines
- Praziquantel
- Triclabendazole
- Oxamniquine?
Antibiotics
Beta Lactam medicines
- Amoxicillin
- Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (amoxicillin + clavulanic acid)
- Ampicillin
- Benzathine benzylpenicillin
- Benzylpenicillin
- Cefalexin
- Cefazolin
- Cefixime
- Cefotaxime
- Ceftriaxone
- Cloxacillin
- Phenoxymethylpenicillin (penicillin V)
- Piperacillin/tazobactam
- Procaine benzylpenicillin
- Ceftazidime?
- Meropenem?
- Aztreonam?
- Imipenem/cilastatin?
Other antibacterials
- Amikacin
- Azithromycin
- Chloramphenicol
- Ciprofloxacin
- Clarithromycin
- Clindamycin
- Doxycycline
- Erythromycin
- Gentamicin
- Metronidazole
- Nitrofurantoin
- Spectinomycin
- Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole
- Trimethoprim
- Vancomycin
Antileprosy medicines
- Clofazimine
- Dapsone
- Rifampicin
Antituberculosis medicines
- Ethambutol
- Ethambutol/isoniazid (ethambutol + isoniazid)
- Ethambutol/isoniazid/pyrazinamide/rifampicin (ethambutol + isoniazid + pyrazinamide + rifampicin)
- Ethambutol/isoniazid/rifampicin (ethambutol + isoniazid + rifampicin)
- Isoniazid
- Isoniazid/pyrazinamide/rifampicin (isoniazid + pyrazinamide + rifampicin)
- Isoniazid/rifampicin (isoniazid + rifampicin)
- Pyrazinamide
- Rifabutin
- Rifampicin
- Rifapentine
- Amikacin?
- Bedaquiline?
- Capreomycin?
- Clofazimine?
- Cycloserine?
- Delamanid?
- Ethionamide?
- Kanamycin?
- Levofloxacin?
- Linezolid?
- Moxifloxacin
- p-aminosalicylic acid?
- Streptomycin?
Antifungal medicines
- Amphotericin B
- Clotrimazole
- Fluconazole
- Flucytosine
- Griseofulvin
- Itraconazole
- Nystatin
- Voriconazole
- Potassium iodide?
Antiherpes medicines
- Aciclovir
Nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors
- Abacavir (ABC)
- Lamivudine (3TC)
- Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)
- Zidovudine (ZDV or AZT)
Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
- Efavirenz (EGV or EFZ)
- Nevirapine (NVP)
Protease inhibitors
- Atazanavir
- Atazanavir/ritonavir
- Darunavir
- Lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r)
- Ritonavir
Integrase inhibitors
- Dolutegravir
- Raltegravir
Fixed-dose combinations
- Abacavir/lamivudine
- Efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir
- Efavirenz/lamivudine/tenofovir
- Emtricitabine/tenofovir
- Lamivudine/nevirapine/zidovudine
- Lamivudine/zidovudine
- Isoniazid/pyridoxine/sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim
- Ribavirin
- Valganciclovir
- Oseltamivir?
Antihepatitis medicines
Medicines for hepatitis B
Nucleoside/Nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors
- Entecavir
- Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)
Medicines for hepatitis C
Nucleotide polymerase inhibitors
- Sofosbuvir
Protease inhibitors
- Simeprevir
NS5A inhibitors
- Daclatasvir
Non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitors
- Dasabuvir
Other antivirals
- Ribavirin
- Pegylated interferon-alpha-2a or pegylated interferon-alpha-2b?
Fixed-dose combinations
- Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir
- Ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir
- Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir
Antiprotozoal medicines
Antiamoebic and antigiardiasis medicines
- Diloxanide
- Metronidazole
Antileishmaniasis medicines
- Amphotericin B
- Miltefosine
- Paromomycin
- Sodium stibogluconate or meglumine antimoniate
Antimalarial medicines
For curative treatment
- Amodiaquine
- Artemether
- Artemether/lumefantrine
- Artesunate
- Artesunate/amodiaquine
- Artesunate/mefloquine
- Artesunate/pyronaridine
- Chloroquine
- Dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine
- Doxycycline
- Mefloquine
- Primaquine
- Quinine
- Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine
For prevention
- Chloroquine
- Doxycycline
- Mefloquine
- Proguanil
Antipneumocystosis and antitoxoplasmosis medicines
- Pyrimethamine
- Sulfadiazine
- Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim
- Pentamidine?
Antitrypanosomal medicines
African trypanosomiasis
- Pentamidine
- Suramin sodium
- Eflornithine
- Melarsoprol
- Nifurtimox
American trypanosomiasis
- Benznidazole
- Nifurtimox
Antimigraine medicines
Acute attack
- Acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin)
- Ibuprofen
- Paracetamol
Prevention
- Propranolol
Antineoplastic and immunosuppressives
Immunosuppressive medicines
- Azathioprine?
- Ciclosporin?
Cytotoxic and adjuvant medicines
- All-trans retinoic acid (tretinoin)?
- Allopurinol?
- Asparaginase?
- Bendamustine?
- Bleomycin?
- Calcium folinate?
- Capecitabine?
- Carboplatin?
- Chlorambucil?
- Cisplatin?
- Cyclophosphamide?
- Cytarabine?
- Dacarbazine?
- Dactinomycin?
- Dasatinib?
- Daunorubicin?
- Docetaxel?
- Doxorubicin?
- Etoposide?
- Filgrastim?
- Fludarabine?
- Fluorouracil?
- Gemcitabine?
- Hydroxycarbamide?
- Ifosfamide?
- Imatinib?
- Irinotecan?
- Mercaptopurine?
- Mesna?
- Methotrexate?
- Oxaliplatin?
- Paclitaxel?
- Procarbazine?
- Rituximab?
- Thioguanine?
- Trastuzumab?
- Vinblastine?
- Vincristine?
- Vinorelbine?
- Zoledronic acid?
Hormones and antihormones
- Anastrozole?
- Bicalutamide?
- Dexamethasone?
- Hydrocortisone?
- Leuprorelin?
- Methylprednisolone?
- Prednisolone?
- Tamoxifen?
Antiparkinsonism medicines
- Biperiden
- Carbidopa/levodopa (levodopa + carbidopa)
Medicines affecting the blood
Antianaemia medicines
- Ferrous salt
- Ferrous salt/folic acid
- Folic acid
- Hydroxocobalamin
- Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents?
Medicines affecting coagulation
- Enoxaparin
- Heparin sodium
- Phytomenadione
- Protamine sulfate
- Tranexamic acid
- Warfarin
- Desmopressin?
Other medicines for haemoglobinopathies
- Deferoxamine?
- Hydroxycarbamide?
Blood products and plasma substitutes of human origin
Blood and blood components
- Fresh frozen plasma
- Platelet concentrates
- Packed red blood cells
- Whole blood
Plasma-derived medicines
Human immunoglobulins
- Rho(D) immune globulin
- Anti-rabies immunoglobulin
- Anti-tetanus immunoglobulin
- Human normal immunoglobulin?
Blood coagulation factors
- Coagulation factor VIII?
- Coagulation factor IX?
Plasma substitutes
- Dextran 70
Cardiovascular medicines
Antianginal medicines
- Bisoprolol
- Glyceryl trinitrate
- Isosorbide dinitrate
- Verapamil
Antiarrhythmic medicines
- Bisoprolol
- Digoxin
- Epinephrine (adrenaline)
- Lidocaine
- Verapamil
- Amiodarone?
Antihypertensive medicines
- Amlodipine
- Bisoprolol
- Enalapril
- Hydralazine
- Hydrochlorothiazide
- Methyldopa
- Losartan
- Sodium nitroprusside?
Medicines used in heart failure
- Bisoprolol
- Digoxin
- Enalapril
- Furosemide
- Hydrochlorothiazide
- Losartan
- Spironolactone
- Dopamine?
Antithrombotic medicines
Anti-platelet medicines
- Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin)
- Clopidogrel
Thrombolytic medicines
- Streptokinase?
Lipid-lowering agents
- Simvastatin
Dermatological (topical)
Antifungal medicines
- Miconazole
- Selenium sulfide
- Sodium thiosulfate
- Terbinafine
Anti-infective medicines
- Mupirocin
- Potassium permanganate
- Silver sulfadiazine
Anti-inflammatory and antipruritic medicines
- Betamethasone
- Calamine
- Hydrocortisone
Medicines affecting skin differentiation and proliferation
- Benzoyl peroxide
- Coal tar
- Fluorouracil
- Podophyllum resin
- Salicylic acid
- Urea
Scabicides and pediculicides
- Benzyl benzoate
- Permethrin
Diagnostic agents
Ophthalmic medicines
- Fluorescein
- Tropicamide
Radiocontrast media
- Amidotrizoate
- Barium sulfate
- Iohexol
- Meglumine iotroxate?
Disinfectants and antiseptics
Antiseptics
- Chlorhexidine
- Ethanol
- Povidone iodine
Disinfectants
- Alcohol based hand rub
- Chlorine base compound
- Chloroxylenol
- Glutaral
Diuretics
- Amiloride
- Furosemide
- Hydrochlorothiazide
- Mannitol
- Spironolactone
Gastrointestinal medicines
- Pancreatic enzymes?
Antiulcer medicines
- Omeprazole
- Ranitidine
Antiemetic medicines
- Dexamethasone
- Metoclopramide
- Ondansetron
Anti-inflammatory medicines
- Sulfasalazine
- Hydrocortisone?
Laxatives
- Senna
Medicines used in diarrhea
Oral rehydration
- Oral rehydration salts
Medicines for diarrhea in children
- Zinc sulfate
Hormones, other endocrine medicines, and contraceptives
Adrenal hormones and synthetic substitutes
- Fludrocortisone
- Hydrocortisone
Androgens
- Testosterone?
Contraceptives
Oral hormonal contraceptives
- Ethinylestradiol/levonorgestrel
- Ethinylestradiol/norethisterone
- Levonorgestrel
- Ulipristal
Injectable hormonal contraceptives
- Estradiol cypionate/medroxyprogesterone acetate
- Medroxyprogesterone acetate
- Norethisterone enantate
Intrauterine devices
- IUD with copper
- IUD with progestogen
Barrier methods
- Condoms
- Diaphragms
Implantable contraceptives
- Etonogestrel--releasing implant
- Levonorgestrel--releasing implant
Intravaginal contraceptives
- Progesterone vaginal ring
Insulins and other medicines used for diabetes
- Gliclazide
- Glucagon
- Insulin injection (soluble)
- Intermediate-acting insulin
- Metformin
Ovulation inducers
- Clomifene?
Progestogens
- Medroxyprogesterone acetate
Thyroid hormones and antithyroid medicines
- Levothyroxine
- Potassium iodide
- Propylthiouracil
- Lugol's solution?
Immunologicals
Diagnostic agents
- Tuberculin, purified protein derivative (PPD)
Sera and immunoglobulins
- Antivenom immunoglobulin
- Diphtheria antitoxin
Vaccines
- BCG vaccine
- Cholera vaccine
- Diphtheria vaccine
- Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine
- Hepatitis A vaccine
- Hepatitis B vaccine
- HPV 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
- Tick-borne encephalitis vaccine
- Typhoid vaccine
- Varicella vaccine
- Yellow fever vaccine
Muscle relaxants (peripherally-acting) and cholinesterase inhibitors
- Atracurium
- Neostigmine
- Suxamethonium
- Vecuronium
- Pyridostigmine?
Eye preparations
Anti-infective agents
- Aciclovir
- Azithromycin
- Erythromycin
- Gentamicin
- Natamycin
- Ofloxacin
- Tetracycline
Anti-inflammatory agents
- Prednisolone
Local anesthetics
- Tetracaine
Miotics and antiglaucoma medicines
- Acetazolamide
- Latanoprost
- Pilocarpine
- Timolol
Mydriatics
- Atropine
- Epinephrine (adrenaline)?
Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
- Bevacizumab?
Oxytocics and antioxytocics
Oxytocics and abortifacients
- Ergometrine
- Misoprostol
- Oxytocin
- Mifepristone used with misoprostol?
Antioxytocics (tocolytics)
- Nifedipine
Peritoneal dialysis solution
- Intraperitoneal dialysis solution (of appropriate composition)?
Medicines for mental and behavioural disorders
Medicines used in psychotic disorders
- Chlorpromazine
- Fluphenazine
- Haloperidol
- Risperidone
- Clozapine?
Medicines used in mood disorders
Medicines used in depressive disorders
- Amitriptyline
- Fluoxetine
Medicines used in bipolar disorders
- Carbamazepine
- Lithium
- Valproic acid (sodium valproate)
Medicines for anxiety disorders
- Diazepam
Medicines used for obsessive compulsive disorders
- Clomipramine
Medicines for disorders due to psychoactive substance use
- Nicotine replacement therapy
- Methadone?
Medicines acting on the respiratory tract
Antiasthmatic and medicines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Beclometasone
- Budesonide
- Budesonide/formoterol
- Epinephrine (adrenaline)
- Ipratropium bromide
- Salbutamol (albuterol)
Solutions correcting water, electrolyte and acid-base disturbances
Oral
- Oral rehydration salts
- Potassium chloride
Parenteral
- Glucose
- Glucose with sodium chloride
- Potassium chloride
- Sodium chloride
- Sodium hydrogen carbonate
- Sodium lactate, compound solution
Miscellaneous
- Water for injection
Vitamins and minerals
- Ascorbic acid
- Calcium
- Cholecalciferol
- Ergocalciferol
- Iodine
- Nicotinamide
- Pyridoxine
- Retinol
- Riboflavin
- Sodium fluoride
- Thiamine
- Calcium gluconate?
Ear, nose and throat medicines in children
- Acetic acid
- Budesonide
- Ciprofloxacin
- Xylometazoline
Specific medicines for neonatal care
Medicines administered to the neonate
- Caffeine citrate
- Chlorhexidine
- Ibuprofen?
- Prostaglandin E?
- Prostaglandin E1
- Prostaglandin E2
- Surfactant?
Medicines administered to the mother
- Dexamethasone
Medicines for diseases of joints
Medicines used to treat gout
- Allopurinol
Disease-modifying agents used in rheumatoid disorders
- Chloroquine
- Azathioprine?
- Hydroxychloroquine?
- Methotrexate?
- Penicillamine?
- Sulfasalazine?
Juvenile joint diseases
- Aspirin
Notes
- ^ An ? indicates the medicine is only on the complementary list. For these items specialized diagnostic or monitoring or specialist training are needed. An item may also be listed as complementary on the basis of higher costs or a less attractive cost-benefit ratio.
References
Further reading
- WHO Model Formulary 2008 (PDF). World Health Organization. 2009. ISBN 9789241547659.
- The selection and use of essential medicines: Twentieth report of the WHO Expert Committee 2015 (including 19th WHO Model List of Essential Medicines and 5th WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for Children) (PDF). WHO. 2015. ISBN 9789240694941.
Source of article : Wikipedia