HomeStandard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines List

Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines List

Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines List

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South Africa has committed to "achieve universal health coverage including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all", one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations. Therefore, an Essential Medicines List (EML) with supporting Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) has been developed, for different levels of care. The respective STGs and EML STGs for primary healthcare and hospital levels (adults and paediatrics), and the EML for tertiary level of care are described below.

The STGs and EML satisfies the priority needs of the South African population, provided for by the National Drug Policy of 1996 and is based on the WHO EML concept of evidence-medicine principles of comparative efficacy, safety, and affordability. Developed and maintained by the ministerially appointed National Essential Medicines List Committee (NEMLC), Technical Expert Review Sub-Committees of NEMLC and the Essential Drugs Programme from the Affordable Medicines Directorate of the National Department of Health (NDoH).

The rationale for inclusion or exclusion of a medicine to the EML is described in NEMLC evidence reports, medicine reviews and costing analyses. The therapeutic interchange database lists therapeutic alternatives for medicines listed on the respective EML.

Essential Drugs Programme Team
Essential Drugs Programme Overview Presentation
  • TBD
Primary Healthcare Level

Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicine List - 2020 Edition

Current Essential Medicine List 

Current Therapeutic Interchange Database 


Evidence Reports


Medicine Reviews


Costing Reports


Implementation Slides


Current Terms of Reference 

  • TBD

Ministerially Appointed Committee for the 2020 - 2023 Terms of Office

  • TBD

Request for Comment

  • TBD

Updated Chapters for the 2023 Edition

Hospital Level - Paediatrics 

The National Department of Health is committed to ensuring an adequate and reliable supply of safe, cost-effective medicines of acceptable quality to all citizens of South Africa, and ensuring the rational use of these medicines by prescribers, dispensers and consumers. The Paediatric Hospital Level Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) and Essential Medicines List (EML) is a tool that can be used to achieve this goal, enabling the healthcare needs of the children of South Africa to be met. Each treatment guideline in the Paediatric Hospital Level STGs and EML has been designed as a progression in care from the current Primary Healthcare (PHC) STGs and EML. In addition, where a referral is recommended, the relevant medicines have either been reviewed and included on the Tertiary level EML, or are in the process of being reviewed. The STGs serve as a standard for practice, but do not replace sound clinical judgment. It is important to remember that the recommended treatments provided in this book are guidelines only, and are based on the assumption that prescribers are competent to handle patients with the relevant conditions presenting to their facilities.

Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicine List - 2023 Edition 
The National Drug Policy makes provision for an Essential Drugs Program (EDP), which is a key component in promoting rational medicines use. Each treatment guideline in the Paediatric Hospital Level Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) and Essential Medicines List (EML) has been designed as a progression in care from the current Primary Health Care (PHC) STGs and EML. In addition, where a referral is recommended, the relevant medicines have either been reviewed and included on the Tertiary level EML, or are in the process of being reviewed. The STGs serve as a standard for practice, but do not replace sound clinical judgment. It is important to remember that the recommended treatments provided in this book are guidelines only, and are based on the assumption that prescribers are competent to handle patients with the relevant conditions presenting to their facilities.

Current Therapeutic Interchange Database

  • TBD

Medicine Reviews and Costing Documents

Hospital Level - Adults


Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines List - 2017 Edition


Current Essential Medicine List


Current Therapeutic Interchange Database


Evidence Reports


  • For the 2019 Edition 

    • TBD

Medicine Reviews 


Costing Reports 


Current Terms of Reference 

  • TBD

Ministerially Appointed Committee for the 2020 - 2023 Terms of Office

  • TBD

Updated Chapters for the 2023 Edition

Hospital Level - Tertiary and Quaternary 


Current Essential Medicine List 

Medicine Reviews and Costing Reports

Current Therapeutic Interchange Database 

  • TBD

Historically Accepted Use

Ministerially Appointed Committee for the 2021 - 2024 Terms of Office

  • TBD

Tertiary Essential Medicine List Recommendations 

  • TBD
National Essential Medicines List Committee

Bulletins 

Current Terms of Reference 

Ministerially Appointed Committee for the 2021 - 2024 Terms of Office

Policies

Circulars

Effective communication initiatives and knowledge sharing are critical elements to ensure that key stakeholders across all relevant sectors in South Africa are engaged and educated on the importance of ensuring the rational selection and use of medicines. Circulars are developed and sent to a range of stakeholder to communicate policy and guideline changes at the National Department of Health's Affordable Medicines Directorate.


2022

2021 

Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committees

National PTC Policy 

  • This document provides standards for the establishment of a non-statutory, multidisciplinary, advisory committee, to be called Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee (PTC) in all provinces, districts and institutions in South Africa.

  • Formulary Guideline Draft v15 25 March 22

National PTC Guideline

  • This document provides policy guidance and corresponding tools for use by Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committees (PTC)s. The guideline aims to assist in promoting an outcomes-based approach for good governance and rational selection and medicine use in the functioning of these bodies. It is aimed at standardising functions, roles, and objectives for all PTCs at different levels based on generic terms of reference.

  • National PTC Guideline 13 December 2019

National Formulary Guideline Draft

  • This document defines the concept of a formulary in the context of the provision of health care services in health establishments in the public sector and those in the private sector providing services on behalf of the public sector, and provide guidance in the development, management and use of such formularies at all levels of care. It aims to emphasise the importance of formularies as the basis for the procurement and management of medicine in health establishments to support medicine availability and rational use thereof.

  • Formulary Guideline Draft v15 25 March 22
Request for comment

Hospital Level - Adult

Hospital Level - Paediatric 


  • TBD

    • TBD

Other


  • TBD

    • TBD

Primary Healthcare Level


  • TBD

    • TBD
Webinars, Presentations and Campaigns

Pharmacy Month 2022

World Patient Safety Day 2022

 

Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a threat to human health, modern medicine, as well as a risk to animal health and food production. The South African Antimicrobial Resistance National Strategy Framework, now in its second edition (2018-2024), was developed to guide the implementation of activities to limit further increases in resistant microbial infections and improve patient outcomes.

The strategy represents a One Health Approach and requires participation and collaboration amongst stakeholders in the human, animal and environmental health, positioned in both the private and public sectors, to ensure successful implementation. To support implementation of the activities listed in the implementation plan, resources and additional guidelines have been developed and can be accessed in the AMR resource pack below. All the resources have been uploaded to correspond with the respective Strategic Objectives and Enablers listed in the Strategy.

Ministerial Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance

  • Committee Members
  • Terms of Reference

Antimicrobial resistance national action plan and implementation plan 

Optimise surveillance and early detection of AMR and antimicrobial use

Enhance infection prevention and control and biosecurity

Promote appropriate use of antimicrobials in human and animal health 

Communication and awareness

Other

Third Line Antiretroviral Committee

Adults 

General

Paediatrics

Contacts
  • Email: SAEDP [at] health.gov.za