ABSTRACT
Background: Adequate access to essential medicines for cardiovascular disease is necessary to address the high cardiovascular disease burden in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the World Health Organization [WHO].
Aims: This study compared the cardiovascular disease medicines included in the WHO Model Essential Medicines List with those in the national essential medicines lists of 19 countries of the Region.
Methods: Data were extracted on the number of cardiovascular medicines and dosage forms in the national lists and compared with those on the WHO Model List [24 medicines in total and 48 dosage forms]. Factors associated with the number of essential cardiovascular medicines on the national lists [burden of cardiovascular diseases and health expenditure per capita] were assessed. The number of medicines from 6 therapeutic groups of cardiovascular medicines listed in the national lists but not in the core WHO Model List were evaluated.
Results: Countries with the lowest percentage of medicines from the WHO Model List out of the total cardiovascular disease medicines in the national lists were Djibouti [21%], Tunisia [22%], Saudi Arabia and Iraq [31% each], and Bahrain and Libya [32% each]. The most common medicine dosage form in the national lists was tablets while some that needed oral liquid forms were not listed by any country. Tunisia [8%], Jordan [14%], Bahrain and Saudi Arabia [15% each] had the lowest alignment of dosage forms from the WHO model list.
Conclusions: Countries should improve the selection of essential medicines for cardiovascular diseases to promote access to therapy