Dan Liu1,2,3, Jing Cheng4, Ling-Li Zhang1,2, You-Ping Li5, Li-Nan Zeng1,2, Chuan Zhang1,2, Ge Gui1,2,3. 1. Department of Pharmacy/Evidence-Based Pharmacy Centre, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. 2. Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China. 3. West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. 4. Sichuan Essential Medicines Procurement Service Center, Chengdu, China. 5. Chinese Cochrane Centre and Chinese Evidence-Based Medicine Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Comparing the essential medicine lists for children and China national essential medicine list 2012, to provide the evidence for establishing essential medicine list for children in China. METHODS: Search the official websites of WHO and some other countries' ministry of health to get essential medicine lists for children (EMLc) that have already established. Compare the situation of updating, the number and classification of medicines, and the dosage forms in essential medicine lists for children and China national essential medicine list 2012. RESULTS: By December 2013, the WHO, India, and South Africa have established EMLc. The list of China was for people in all ages, so the number of medicines ranked first in four lists. WHO, India, and China classified the medicines by pharmacologic action, South Africa classified by ATC classification. Except for WHO, India, South Africa, and China did not have specific medicines for neonatal care or medicines for diseases of joints. The main administration routes in these four lists were oral administration, injection, and topical application. There were medicine restrictions in lists of WHO and India, but there were no medicine restrictions in the lists of South Africa and China. CONCLUSION: Compared with EMLs for children, the 2012 National Essential Medicine List for China is not suitable for children in China. Development of Chinese EMLc should be based on the burden of diseases for children, and should select applicable dosage forms and specifications.
OBJECTIVE: Comparing the essential medicine lists for children and China national essential medicine list 2012, to provide the evidence for establishing essential medicine list for children in China. METHODS: Search the official websites of WHO and some other countries' ministry of health to get essential medicine lists for children (EMLc) that have already established. Compare the situation of updating, the number and classification of medicines, and the dosage forms in essential medicine lists for children and China national essential medicine list 2012. RESULTS: By December 2013, the WHO, India, and South Africa have established EMLc. The list of China was for people in all ages, so the number of medicines ranked first in four lists. WHO, India, and China classified the medicines by pharmacologic action, South Africa classified by ATC classification. Except for WHO, India, South Africa, and China did not have specific medicines for neonatal care or medicines for diseases of joints. The main administration routes in these four lists were oral administration, injection, and topical application. There were medicine restrictions in lists of WHO and India, but there were no medicine restrictions in the lists of South Africa and China. CONCLUSION: Compared with EMLs for children, the 2012 National Essential Medicine List for China is not suitable for children in China. Development of Chinese EMLc should be based on the burden of diseases for children, and should select applicable dosage forms and specifications.