(2004; 45 pages)
Adapting the therapeutic classification system of the WHO model formulary
To date, the WMF has mainly kept the therapeutic classification system used in the WMEML with only minor modifications. This system is widely used by countries with existing EMLs as well as local and international suppliers such as the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) or the International Dispensary Association. It is strongly recommended that the same classification system be maintained in the NF, as this can help the NFC and the editors to:
- incorporate a list of essential and/or other selected medicines into a well-known therapeutic classification system;
- adopt all introductory texts of the WMF and maintain their integrity as much as possible, thus reducing the risk of lost or potentially invalid information;
- save time and effort on word-processing of the NF, by using the complete electronic text of the WMF on all 27 categories, instead of importing WMF sections in fragments into a different classification system; and
- take advantage of the existing table of contents and indexing field codes present in the WMF Word® files for generation of contents lists and indexes, thus decreasing the time necessary for production.
However, if there is already a widely used national classification system for essential medicines, this should be matched in the NF, rather than using the WMF structure.