antibiotics

WHO Revises Antibiotics Section of its Essential Medicines List

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently made the largest revision to the antibiotics section of its Essential Medicines List (EML) in the EML’s 40-year history. The update also includes 433 drugs for adults and children that are essential for treating the most important public health needs.
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Among the changes to the antibiotics section WHO has now grouped antibiotics into 3 categories:

  • ACCESS: Antibiotics in this category should be available at all times. These antibiotics are used to treat a broad range of common infections, such as amoxicillin for pneumonia.
  • WATCH: WHO recommends prescribing these antibiotics as first- or second-choice treatments for a smaller number of infections, such as ciprofloxacin for cystitis and upper respiratory tract infections, in order to prevent drug resistance from increasing.
  • RESERVE: These antibiotics should only be used as a last resort for life-threatening infections and most severe circumstances when all other options have failed. This list includes colistin and some cephalosporins.

These new categories currently only apply to antibiotics prescribed to treat 21 of the most common general infections.

“The rise in antibiotic resistance stems from how we are using—and misusing—these medicines,” said Dr. Suzanne Hill, Director of Essential Medicines and Health Products. “The new WHO list should help health system planners and prescribers ensure people who need antibiotics have access to them, and ensure they get the right one, so that the problem of resistance doesn’t get worse.”

Additionally, WHO added several new drugs to the EML, including 2 oral cancer treatments, a new pill for hepatitis C virus, a more effective HIV treatment, an older drug that can be prescribed to prevent HIV in high-risk patients, new pediatric versions of tuberculosis medicines, and pain relievers.

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

WHO updates essential medicines list with new advice on use of antibiotics, and adds medicines for hepatitis C, HIV, tuberculosis and cancer [press release]. Geneva, Switzerland. World Health Organ. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2017/essential-medicines-list/en/. Accessed June 7, 2017.