Table 5.
Most frequently prescribed fixed-dose combinations which are not included in the National List of Essential Medicines 2015
| Number of prescriptions (percentage of n=4838), n (%) | |
|---|---|
| FDCs in which no component is included in NLEM | |
| Montelukast + levocetirizine | 48 (0.99) |
| Aluminum hydroxide + magnesium hydroxide + oxetacaine | 45 (0.93) |
| Pregabalin + MeCbl | 32 (0.66) |
| Bacitracin + neomycin + polymyxin B | 25 (0.52) |
| Trypsin + chymotrypsin | 24 (0.50) |
| Pregabalin + nortriptyline | 24 (0.50) |
| Total | 198 (4.09) |
| FDCs in which one or more component is included in NLEM | |
| Multivitamins with or without minerals | 842 (17.40) |
| Domperidone + rabeprazole | 74 (1.53) |
| Ceftriaxone + sulbactam | 49 (1.01) |
| Pantoprazole + domperidone | 47 (0.97) |
| Total | 1012 (20.92) |
| FDCs in which all components are included in NLEM but as separate drugs | |
| Ibuprofen + paracetamol | 39 (0.81) |
| Acetylsalicylic acid + atorvastatin | 38 (0.79) |
| Mefenamic acid + dicyclomine | 37 (0.76) |
| Diclofenac + paracetamol | 15 (0.31) |
| Total | 129 (2.67) |
| Grand total | 1339 (27.67) |
MeCbl=Methylcobalamin, NLEM=National List of Essential Medicines, FDC=Fixed-dose combination