26 drugs dropped from the list of essential medicine | Fusion - WeRIndia

Considering the safety and health of citizens, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare dropped 26 drugs from the list of essential medicines. It added some new drugs to the list and issued the revised list.

As per the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022, 26 drugs were dropped from the list. They include ranitidine, a common antacid, rifabutin, erythromycin, bleaching powder, sucralfate, white petrolatum, and some other drugs.

In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled all ranitidine products due to the presence of N-nitrosodimethylamin in them. These components can cause many cancers. In this context, the government of India dropped them from the list of essential medicines.

At the same time, some new drugs have been added to the list. The government added 34 drugs. Some of them are ivermectin, mupirocin, nicotine replacement therapy, drugs used to treat TB and diabetes, and many more.

Now, the total drugs under NLEM are 384 in 27 categories. These new drugs include those used to treat neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal issues, ear, nose, and throat problems, anaesthetics, anti-infective medicines, endocrine medicines, and contraceptives.

Amikacin is one of the newly added drugs to the NLEM. The drug is used to treat bacterial infections in joints and urinary tracts. It is also used to treat TB.

Another drug is cefuroxime. It is also used to treat bacterial infections. Dabigatran is another medicine that has been added to the list. It is used as an anticoagulant to treat and prevent blood clots after surgeries. It is also used to prevent stroke.

Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug, valganciclovir, an anti-viral drug, and montelukast used to treat asthma are some other drugs. They have been added to the list.

These drugs will become cheaper once the National Pharma Pricing Authority caps the price. Drug manufacturers should not increase their prices on their own. However, the process consumes a long time as an independent committee will interact with experts.

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