Kathmandu, September 25

In a bid to provide effective care to patients, the Ministry of Health said it has been revising the list of over 300 drugs on the essential drugs list.

The existing essential drugs list was prepared years ago and has become impractical making revision essential, said officials at the MoH.

“Revision is needed as doctors have stopped prescribing several medicines on the essential drug list,” said Dr Mohamad Daud, director at the Primary Health Revitalisation Division of the Department of Health Services, said.

Dr Daud conceded that some medicines on the list were impractical and doctors serving in government health facilities did not prescribe those drugs.

According to Director Daud, the new list would be made more practical and suggestions of senior doctors and consultants have been sought for the revision of the list. Minister for Health Gagan Thapa also instructed concerned officials to work on making the essential drugs list practical.

All government health facilities throughout the country prescribe drugs listed on the essential drugs list prepared by the ministry. “We have formed an expert’s panel to revise the essential drugs list,” Dr Daud informed. He said the panel would also revise free essential drugs on the list.

The MoH provides 70 types of medicines for communicable and non-communicable diseases free of cost from all district hospitals throughout the country. Likewise, primary health care centres provide 58 types of medicines and health posts provide 35 types of medicines to patients without any charge.

Daud informed that new medicines listed as free essential drugs would only be procured after the revision is completed.