Essential medicines list updated, adds 34 new drugs and drops 26

Medicines to treat diabetes, HIV, TB, contraceptives, hormonal medicines included in National List of Essential Medicines

As many as 34 new drugs were added to and 26 dropped from an updated list of essential medicines on Tuesday, with the government saying this will reduce “patients’ out-of-pocket expenditure”.

The National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM 2022) has 384 drugs, up from 376 in 2015. “Drafting this list is a lengthy process, and around 350 experts from across India have held over 140 consultation meetings to draft the NLEM 2022,” Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.

Most drugs in the NLEM 2022, which will guide the National Pharma¬ceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to cap prices, are anti-infectives (antibiotics, antifungals), diabetes, tuberculosis