Guidelines for Developing National Drug policies

Drugs and vaccines have the potential to confer enormous health benefits on a large number of people. To make the most of this potential, each country needs to develop a national drugs policy, aimed at ensuring an adequate supply of safe and effective drugs, within the resources of the country. This publication presents guidelines for the formulation of such a policy, incorporating the concept of essential drugs. The guidelines, although framed specifically for countries that are just starting to develop drug policies, are applicable in a wide variety of situations, and are intended for adaptation to local circumstances.