New Delhi: As many as 26 drugs, including rifabutin and ranitidine, have been removed from the Essential Medicines List due to cancer concerns. For the unconvinced, doctors often prescribe ranitidine for problems related to acidity and stomach pain. This comes nearly two years after the US FDA urged manufacturers to immediately withdraw all prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) ranitidine drugs from the market.Also Read – Bookmark these 10 best places in India to explore in October
The Health Ministry today released the new National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022, which lists 384 medicines in 27 categories. “National list of essential drugs 2022 released. Some antibiotics, vaccines, anti-cancer drugs and many other important drugs will become more affordable and reduce out-of-pocket costs for patients”, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted. Also Read – CSIR UGC NET 2022 Admit Card released at csirnet.nta.nic.in; Direct link, exam schedule here
National List of Essential Medicines 2022: Check List of Excluded Medicines Here
1. Alteplace
2. Atenolol
3. Bleaching powder
4. Capriomycin
5. Cetramide
6. Chlorpheniramine
7. Diloxanide furoate
8. Dimercaprol
9. Erythromycin
10. Ethinylestradiol
11. Ethinylestradiol (A) Norethisterone (B)
12. Ganciclovir
13. Kanamycin
14. Lamivudine (A) + Nevirapine (B) + Stavudine (C)
15. Leflunomide
16. Methyldopa
17. Nicotinamide
18. Pegylated interferon alfa 2a, pegylated interferon alfa 2b
19. Pentamidine
20. Prilocaine (A) + Lignocaine (B)
21. Procarbazine
22. Ranitidine
23. Rifabutin
24. Stavudine (A) + Lamivudine (B) 25. Sucralfate
26. White petrolatum Also Read – Jiah Khan suicide case: Bombay High Court rejects late actor’s mother’s plea to reopen investigation
What are essential medications?
According to WHO, essential medicines are those that meet the primary health care needs of the population. They are selected based on disease prevalence and public health relevance, evidence of efficacy and safety, and comparative cost-effectiveness. They are intended to be available at all times in functioning health systems, in appropriate dosage forms, of assured quality and at affordable prices for individuals and health systems.
