Essential drugs in primary health care.

Abstract

On September 7-8 1988 health professionals attended a national seminar at the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development in New Delhi to review policies of each government department in India that dispenses essential drugs to PHC workers. Another objective included the need to agree on what essential drugs should be distributed by the various types of PHC workers. The consensus of the group was that the different levels of health services and competence of the PHC workers should determine the basic list of PHC essential drugs. In addition the morbidity pattern in the community safety effectiveness and cost of the drugs must also determine which drugs are essential. Anganwadi workers/village health guides should all have a kit with 17 of the 75 essential drugs such as vitamin A solution oral rehydration solution packets choloroquine and chlorine tablets. In addition to the same 17 drugs all subcenters should have in stock aspirin metoclopramide oral contraceptives methergin in both tablet and injection form and activated charcoal. Each PHC center should have all of the above and the remaining 53 drugs which include antibiotics bronchodialators eye drops injections vaccines (e.g. DPT and BCG) ointments antileprosy drugs and snake venom. The quantity of each drug should be based on the morbidity pattern seasonal trend and sickness load of the area. All PHC workers should attend inservice training where tested and effective training modules and charts in each local language are used to learn how to judiciously prescribe these drugs. Further this essential drug program should be continuously monitored and evaluated.