N E M L | 4th Edition
NATIONAL ESSENTIAL MEDICINES LIST
NATIONAL ESSENTIAL MEDICINES LIST FOURTH EDITION
How to use the National Essential Medicines List
This list contains 321 chemical entities within 30 therapeutic groups. The therapeutic groups are further divided
into sub-therapeutic groups followed by the medicines’ chemical entities (generic names). For each chemical
entity, the corresponding dosage form and the level of care are stated on the same row. When prescribing the
medicines, the prescribers should ensure that the indications are registered with the Drug Control Authority of
Malaysia. For prescribers within Ministry of Health (MOH) facilities, the registered indications must also be listed
in the MOH Medicines Formulary.
Level of care:
All health facilities should ensure the availability of the medicines listed for patients is according to the level of
care designated by MOH. The main terms used for level of care are explained as below:
Level of care Explanation Example
U = universal Primary, secondary & tertiary care Health clinic and hospital
S = secondary Secondary and tertiary care Major/ minor specialist hospital
T = tertiary Tertiary care Major specialist hospital
Dosage forms for each chemical entity listed are defined as below:
Term Definition
Oral dosage form All form of tablets: immediate release and modified release preparation,
uncoated or coated, unscored and scored, chewable, dispersible, soluble,
crushable, sublingual or others;
All form of capsules: hard or soft capsules, modified release preparation,
capsule-shaped tablet or caplet or others;
All form of granule;
Oral powder: preparation that are issued to patient as powder to be taken in
or with water or another suitable liquid or others;
Oral liquid: oral solutions, syrups, suspensions, emulsions and oral drops or
others
Injection All form of injections: solutions, suspensions, emulsions including those
constituted from powders or solutions or others
Topical All form of topical: creams, ointments, lotions, paints or others
Eye preparation All form of eye preparation: drops, ointment or others
Ear preparation All form of ear preparation: drops, ointment or others
Inhalation All form of inhalation
Miscellaneous Other forms
1
, N E M L | 4th Edition
NATIONAL ESSENTIAL MEDICINES LIST
NO CHEMICAL ENTITY DOSAGE FORM LEVEL OF CARE
1 ANAESTHETICS
1.1 GENERAL ANAESTHETICS AND OXYGEN
Isoflurane Inhalation solution S,T
Ketamine Injection S,T
Thiopental/ Thiopentone Injection S,T
Nitrous Oxide Gas S,T
Medical Oxygen Gas U
Propofol Injection S,T
1.2 LOCAL ANAESTHETICS
Bupivacaine Injection S,T
Ethyl Chloride Spray (topical) U
Bupivacaine + Adrenaline/ Epinephrine Injection S,T
Lignocaine/ Lidocaine Injection U
Lignocaine/ Lidocaine Spray (oral) U
Lignocaine/ Lidocaine Topical U
1.3 PREOPERATIVE MEDICATION AND SEDATION FOR SHORT-TERM PROCEDURES
Atropine Injection U
Midazolam Injection S,T
Midazolam Oral dosage form S,T
Morphine Oral dosage form S,T
Morphine Injection S,T
2 ANALGESICS, ANTIPYRETICS, NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-
INFLAMMATORY DRUGS (NSAIDS)
2.1 NON-OPIOIDS AND NSAIDS
Acetylsalicylic Acid Oral dosage form U
Diclofenac Oral dosage form U
Paracetamol Oral dosage form U
Paracetamol Suppository U
Paracetamol Injection S,T
Ibuprofen Oral dosage form U
Mefenamic Acid Oral dosage form U
Indomethacin Oral dosage form U
2.2 OPIOID ANALGESICS
Dihydrocodeine Oral dosage form U
Morphine Oral dosage form S,T
Tramadol Injection S,T
Tramadol Oral dosage form S,T
2.3 MEDICINES USED TO TREAT GOUT
Allopurinol Oral dosage form S,T
Indomethacine Oral dosage form U
Colchicine Oral dosage form U
2.4 DISEASE MODIFYING AGENTS USED IN RHEUMATOID DISORDERS (DMARDS)
Azathioprine Oral dosage form T
2
, N E M L | 4th Edition
NATIONAL ESSENTIAL MEDICINES LIST
Hydroxychloroquine Oral dosage form T
Methotrexate Oral dosage form T
Penicillamine Oral dosage form T
Sulfasalazine/ Sulphasalazine Oral dosage form T
Leflunomide Oral dosage form T
3 ANTI-ALLERGICS AND MEDICINES USED IN ANAPHYLAXIS
Adrenaline/Epinephrine Injection U
Chlorpheniramine Oral dosage form U
Chlorpheniramine Injection U
Prednisolone Oral dosage form U
Triprolidine Hydrochloride + Pseudoephedrine Oral dosage form U
Hydrochloride
Hydrocortisone Injection U
Promethazine Injection U
Promethazine Oral dosage form U
Cetirizine Oral dosage form U
Levocetirizine Oral dosage form T
Loratadine Oral dosage form U
4 ANTIDOTES AND OTHER SUBSTANCES USED IN POISONING
4.1 NON-SPECIFIC
Charcoal, Activated Oral dosage form U
4.2 SPECIFIC
Calcium Gluconate Injection U
Atropine Injection U
Flumazenil Injection S,T
Naloxone Injection U
Pralidoxime Injection S,T
Sodium Nitrite Injection T
Sodium Thiosulphate Injection T
Acetylcysteine Injection S,T
Desferrioxamine Methane Sulphonate Injection S,T
5 ANTICONVULSANTS/ANTIEPILEPTICS
Carbamazepine Oral dosage form U
Sodium Valproate Oral dosage form U
Sodium Valproate Injection S,T
Diazepam Injection S,T
Diazepam Rectal Solution S,T
Clonazepam Oral dosage form S,T
Magnesium Sulphate Injection S,T
Phenobarbitone /Phenobarbital Oral dosage form S,T
Phenobarbitone /Phenobarbital Injection S,T
Phenytoin Oral dosage form S,T
Phenytoin Injection S,T
3
NATIONAL ESSENTIAL MEDICINES LIST
NATIONAL ESSENTIAL MEDICINES LIST FOURTH EDITION
How to use the National Essential Medicines List
This list contains 321 chemical entities within 30 therapeutic groups. The therapeutic groups are further divided
into sub-therapeutic groups followed by the medicines’ chemical entities (generic names). For each chemical
entity, the corresponding dosage form and the level of care are stated on the same row. When prescribing the
medicines, the prescribers should ensure that the indications are registered with the Drug Control Authority of
Malaysia. For prescribers within Ministry of Health (MOH) facilities, the registered indications must also be listed
in the MOH Medicines Formulary.
Level of care:
All health facilities should ensure the availability of the medicines listed for patients is according to the level of
care designated by MOH. The main terms used for level of care are explained as below:
Level of care Explanation Example
U = universal Primary, secondary & tertiary care Health clinic and hospital
S = secondary Secondary and tertiary care Major/ minor specialist hospital
T = tertiary Tertiary care Major specialist hospital
Dosage forms for each chemical entity listed are defined as below:
Term Definition
Oral dosage form All form of tablets: immediate release and modified release preparation,
uncoated or coated, unscored and scored, chewable, dispersible, soluble,
crushable, sublingual or others;
All form of capsules: hard or soft capsules, modified release preparation,
capsule-shaped tablet or caplet or others;
All form of granule;
Oral powder: preparation that are issued to patient as powder to be taken in
or with water or another suitable liquid or others;
Oral liquid: oral solutions, syrups, suspensions, emulsions and oral drops or
others
Injection All form of injections: solutions, suspensions, emulsions including those
constituted from powders or solutions or others
Topical All form of topical: creams, ointments, lotions, paints or others
Eye preparation All form of eye preparation: drops, ointment or others
Ear preparation All form of ear preparation: drops, ointment or others
Inhalation All form of inhalation
Miscellaneous Other forms
1
, N E M L | 4th Edition
NATIONAL ESSENTIAL MEDICINES LIST
NO CHEMICAL ENTITY DOSAGE FORM LEVEL OF CARE
1 ANAESTHETICS
1.1 GENERAL ANAESTHETICS AND OXYGEN
Isoflurane Inhalation solution S,T
Ketamine Injection S,T
Thiopental/ Thiopentone Injection S,T
Nitrous Oxide Gas S,T
Medical Oxygen Gas U
Propofol Injection S,T
1.2 LOCAL ANAESTHETICS
Bupivacaine Injection S,T
Ethyl Chloride Spray (topical) U
Bupivacaine + Adrenaline/ Epinephrine Injection S,T
Lignocaine/ Lidocaine Injection U
Lignocaine/ Lidocaine Spray (oral) U
Lignocaine/ Lidocaine Topical U
1.3 PREOPERATIVE MEDICATION AND SEDATION FOR SHORT-TERM PROCEDURES
Atropine Injection U
Midazolam Injection S,T
Midazolam Oral dosage form S,T
Morphine Oral dosage form S,T
Morphine Injection S,T
2 ANALGESICS, ANTIPYRETICS, NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-
INFLAMMATORY DRUGS (NSAIDS)
2.1 NON-OPIOIDS AND NSAIDS
Acetylsalicylic Acid Oral dosage form U
Diclofenac Oral dosage form U
Paracetamol Oral dosage form U
Paracetamol Suppository U
Paracetamol Injection S,T
Ibuprofen Oral dosage form U
Mefenamic Acid Oral dosage form U
Indomethacin Oral dosage form U
2.2 OPIOID ANALGESICS
Dihydrocodeine Oral dosage form U
Morphine Oral dosage form S,T
Tramadol Injection S,T
Tramadol Oral dosage form S,T
2.3 MEDICINES USED TO TREAT GOUT
Allopurinol Oral dosage form S,T
Indomethacine Oral dosage form U
Colchicine Oral dosage form U
2.4 DISEASE MODIFYING AGENTS USED IN RHEUMATOID DISORDERS (DMARDS)
Azathioprine Oral dosage form T
2
, N E M L | 4th Edition
NATIONAL ESSENTIAL MEDICINES LIST
Hydroxychloroquine Oral dosage form T
Methotrexate Oral dosage form T
Penicillamine Oral dosage form T
Sulfasalazine/ Sulphasalazine Oral dosage form T
Leflunomide Oral dosage form T
3 ANTI-ALLERGICS AND MEDICINES USED IN ANAPHYLAXIS
Adrenaline/Epinephrine Injection U
Chlorpheniramine Oral dosage form U
Chlorpheniramine Injection U
Prednisolone Oral dosage form U
Triprolidine Hydrochloride + Pseudoephedrine Oral dosage form U
Hydrochloride
Hydrocortisone Injection U
Promethazine Injection U
Promethazine Oral dosage form U
Cetirizine Oral dosage form U
Levocetirizine Oral dosage form T
Loratadine Oral dosage form U
4 ANTIDOTES AND OTHER SUBSTANCES USED IN POISONING
4.1 NON-SPECIFIC
Charcoal, Activated Oral dosage form U
4.2 SPECIFIC
Calcium Gluconate Injection U
Atropine Injection U
Flumazenil Injection S,T
Naloxone Injection U
Pralidoxime Injection S,T
Sodium Nitrite Injection T
Sodium Thiosulphate Injection T
Acetylcysteine Injection S,T
Desferrioxamine Methane Sulphonate Injection S,T
5 ANTICONVULSANTS/ANTIEPILEPTICS
Carbamazepine Oral dosage form U
Sodium Valproate Oral dosage form U
Sodium Valproate Injection S,T
Diazepam Injection S,T
Diazepam Rectal Solution S,T
Clonazepam Oral dosage form S,T
Magnesium Sulphate Injection S,T
Phenobarbitone /Phenobarbital Oral dosage form S,T
Phenobarbitone /Phenobarbital Injection S,T
Phenytoin Oral dosage form S,T
Phenytoin Injection S,T
3
