Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Drugs List Primary Health Care

These initial products cover common health problems and drugs lists at secondary and tertiary hospital level. There were problem areas, where common conditions arise by concentration and are complicated, problematic, essentially rare, expensive to diagnose and to treat and require complicated procedures. Such conditions, e.g. onco-therapy, dialysis, transplantation, and HIV/AIDS, require special mention and attention at a different level. A next stage would be to consider the appointment of panels of experts, guided by health authority policies, to develop protocols, covering all aspects, including cost implications, palliation, treatment, prognosis, selection criteria and mechanisms of funding.

Hopefully the completed initial step will facilitate the development of rational prescribing and dispensing, eliminate wastage, encourage research and critical evaluation and facilitate equity in health care.