Table 1.
Overview of drugs prescribed from outside the National List of Essential Medicines, 2015
| Non-NLEM drug product | Number of non-NLEM drug products (percentage of n=700), n (%) | Number of non-NLEM drugs prescribed (percentage of n=5215), n (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Single drug products | ||
| Not included in NLEM in any dosage form or strength | 299 (42.71) | 2156 (41.34) |
| Included in NLEM 2015 in a dosage form or strength other than that prescribed | 47 (6.71) | 566 (10.85) |
| Total | 346 (49.43) | 2722 (52.20) |
| FDCs | ||
| FDCs in which no component is included in NLEM | 113 (16.14) | 621 (11.91) |
| FDCs in which one or more component/s is/are included in NLEM | 214 (30.57) | 1354 (25.96) |
| FDCs in which all components are included in NLEM separately, not as FDC | 27 (3.86) | 518 (9.93) |
| Total | 354 (50.57) | 2493 (47.80) |
| Grand total | 700 (100.00) | 5215 (100.00) |
FDC=Fixed-dose combination, NLEM=National List of Essential Medicines