First reference guide on medicines

To promote safe and cost-effective use of medicines, the World Health Organization (WHO) released the first edition of the WHO Model Formulary. The formulary is the first ever publication to give comprehensive information on all 325 medicines contained in the WHO Model List of Essential Drugs. It presents information on the recommended use, dosage, adverse effects, contra-indications and warnings of these medicines. Correct use of this tool will improve patient safety and limit superfluous medical spending. Bad prescribing habits are very common in all countries, which lead to ineffective and unsafe treatment, prolongation of illness and harm to the patient. The new formulary is primarily designed to be used by governments and institutions as a basis for developing their own national formularies. It is particularly relevant for developing countries, where commercial and promotional materials are often the only available source of drug information to health workers and patients. The WHO formulary may also be useful for individual prescribers - and for this reason it is available at reduced cost for developing countries. It is estimated that only two-thirds of developing country populations have some form of access to essential medicines. For these countries, pharmaceuticals represent 40% of the health care budget. The selection of essential medicines and their appropriate use constitute the most effective approach to improving equitable access to health care. The WHO Model List of Essential Medicines is compiled to focus pharmaceutical efforts on priority conditions and quality medicines that are most cost-effective and safe, and as affordable as possible.