EMERGENCY MEDICINE LIST

It is by far known that medicines are the key integral components of a health care system.
Although there are immense active pharmaceutical entities in the global market, limiting
medicines that shall be used within a given country in a given situation is prominent. This
is done with due regard to factors like; safety, efficacy, quality, cost- benefit ratio,
indication for treatment of diseases considered significant in the national context,
sufficient experience with the medicines and other factors.
Through its health and drug policies and Food, Medicine and Healthcare Administration
and Control Authority Proclamation No.661/2009, the Government of Ethiopia has
reaffirmed that the medicines used in health services within the nation shall be determined
on the basis of the country’s health problems and capabilities. Thus, to materialize this
objective, it is necessary to select medicines which are required for promotion, prevention,
diagnosis, treatment/mitigation and rehabilitation of diseases affecting the Ethiopian
population.
In the light of the latest development in the fields of medicine and pharmacy and the
revised national medicine list of Ethiopia, in addition considering the disease pattern of the
community this Emergency Medicine List is prepared for primary level clinic, medium
clinic and specialty clinic who are not allowed to have pharmacy unit as per the national
minimum standard. The prepared emergency list consists two parts, the first part contain
commonly prescribed list of emergency medicine. And the second part of EML classified
emergency medicines to different health institutions. Therefore health institutions should
refer the sub-list which is relevant to the service they render.
The list of emergency medicine has been developed though various consultative meeting
and workshops with concerned health professionals and institutions. The medicines in the
list should be administered to emergency patients only treated in the health institutions,
purchased from legal medicine retail outlets on the basis of prescription paper and legal
receipt. The stock that should be handled and hoarding of such medicine is prohibited. In
addition each medicine administered to emergency patient should be registered in
emergency medicine administration registration book.
Users of this medicines list are advised to refer to the sub-list which is relevant to the level
of service they render. Since the process of revising Emergency Medicine list is a
continuous process which takes into account changing priorities for public health action as
well as progress in pharmacological and pharmaceutical findings, this list will be subjected
to continuous revision. Consequently, all users of this list are strongly invited to send their
comments and suggestions to the Food, Medicine and Healthcare Administration and
Control Authority of Ethiopia, P.O. Box 5681, Tel. 251-11 552 41 22, website
www.fmhaca.gov.et , email regulatory@fmhaca.gov.et Addis Ababa, Ethiopia