Essential drugs concept MCQs With Answer is designed for B. Pharm students to strengthen knowledge on Essential Medicines List (EML), WHO Model List, and National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). This focused introduction explains selection criteria — efficacy, safety, cost‑effectiveness, public health relevance — plus procurement, supply chain, generic prescribing, fixed‑dose combinations, and antibiotic stewardship. Emphasis on access, affordability, rational use and pharmacoeconomics prepares you for clinical practice, policy discussions, and exam success. The following 30 MCQs with answers go deeper into definitions, policy, therapeutic selection, regulatory issues and practical pharmacy management to build confidence in essential drug decision‑making. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. What is the WHO definition of “essential medicines”?
- Drugs selected by doctors for private clinics
- Medicines required only for emergency care
- Medicines that satisfy the priority health care needs of the population
- Expensive patented drugs for specialized hospitals
Correct Answer: Medicines that satisfy the priority health care needs of the population
Q2. In which year did WHO first publish the Model List of Essential Medicines?
- 1987
- 1977
- 1997
- 2007
Correct Answer: 1977
Q3. Which Indian document lists medicines deemed essential for national health needs?
- Indian Pharmacopoeia
- National Formulary of India
- National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM)
- Central Drugs Standard Control List
Correct Answer: National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM)
Q4. The primary objective of an essential medicines policy is to:
- Promote only brand-name medicine use
- Ensure access to safe, effective, and affordable medicines for priority health needs
- Limit the number of drugs available in pharmacies
- Increase pharmaceutical company profits
Correct Answer: Ensure access to safe, effective, and affordable medicines for priority health needs
Q5. What distinguishes the “core” list from the “complementary” list in WHO Model List?
- Core includes expensive specialty drugs; complementary is basic primary care drugs
- Core contains basic, essential medicines for primary care; complementary requires specialized diagnostics or facilities
- Core is for pediatric use only; complementary is for adults only
- There is no difference; both are identical
Correct Answer: Core contains basic, essential medicines for primary care; complementary requires specialized diagnostics or facilities
Q6. Which of the following is NOT a standard criterion for selecting essential medicines?
- Public health relevance
- Quality, safety, and efficacy
- Cost-effectiveness
- Manufacturer’s marketing budget
Correct Answer: Manufacturer’s marketing budget
Q7. How often does WHO typically update the Model List of Essential Medicines?
- Every six months
- Biennially (every two years)
- Every ten years
- No fixed schedule; only when emergencies occur
Correct Answer: Biennially (every two years)
Q8. Why is generic prescribing emphasized in essential medicines policy?
- To confuse pharmacists with multiple names
- To promote affordability, interchangeability and rational use
- To increase the use of brand-name drugs
- To bypass regulatory approvals
Correct Answer: To promote affordability, interchangeability and rational use
Q9. Fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) are included in essential lists only when:
- They are more profitable than single drugs
- They have demonstrated therapeutic advantage and safety over individual components
- They are newly marketed
- They reduce the number of manufacturers
Correct Answer: They have demonstrated therapeutic advantage and safety over individual components
Q10. Which information is typically provided alongside a medicine in the WHO Model List?
- Manufacturer’s production costs
- Recommended dosage form and strength, and special notes
- Retail price in every country
- Marketing strategy for hospitals
Correct Answer: Recommended dosage form and strength, and special notes
Q11. The latest Indian NLEM edition (as of recent major update) was released in which year?
- 2010
- 2015
- 2022
- 2000
Correct Answer: 2022
Q12. Which additional WHO list focuses specifically on medicines for children?
- Complementary List for Adults
- WHO Pediatric Safety List
- WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for Children
- Global Vaccines List
Correct Answer: WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for Children
Q13. Therapeutic equivalence between two medicines means they:
- Have the same chemical name only
- Produce the same clinical effect and safety profile when given to patients under the same conditions
- Are manufactured by the same company
- Have the same color and packaging
Correct Answer: Produce the same clinical effect and safety profile when given to patients under the same conditions
Q14. Pharmacoeconomic analysis in the context of essential drugs is primarily used to assess:
- Which companies should receive subsidies
- Cost-effectiveness and value for money of medicines for selection decisions
- Advertising returns on investment
- Only the cheapest available option regardless of efficacy
Correct Answer: Cost-effectiveness and value for money of medicines for selection decisions
Q15. How does inclusion in an EML support antibiotic stewardship?
- By promoting widespread overuse of antibiotics
- By guiding selection to recommended agents, limiting unnecessary broad-spectrum use
- By banning all antibiotics in primary care
- By encouraging fixed-dose combinations of multiple antibiotics
Correct Answer: By guiding selection to recommended agents, limiting unnecessary broad-spectrum use
Q16. Which international agreement can influence access to essential medicines by affecting patents?
- Geneva Conventions
- TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights)
- Helsinki Declaration
- Basel Convention
Correct Answer: TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights)
Q17. Which organization is responsible for publishing the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines?
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- World Trade Organization (WTO)
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)
Correct Answer: World Health Organization (WHO)
Q18. A “complementary” medicine on the WHO list typically requires:
- No professional oversight and can be sold over the counter
- Specialist medical care, monitoring or facilities for safe and effective use
- Only traditional healers to administer
- High marketing expenditure to be available
Correct Answer: Specialist medical care, monitoring or facilities for safe and effective use
Q19. Which of the following is an essential analgesic commonly listed on EMLs?
- Paracetamol (acetaminophen)
- Hydrocodone combination products only
- Experimental opioid only available in trials
- A specific brand-name NSAID not generically available
Correct Answer: Paracetamol (acetaminophen)
Q20. The role of B. Pharm students in essential medicines practice includes:
- Only manufacturing drugs, no clinical involvement
- Understanding selection criteria, promoting rational use, safe dispensing and participation in procurement
- Replacing clinicians in therapeutic decision-making
- Focusing solely on marketing strategies
Correct Answer: Understanding selection criteria, promoting rational use, safe dispensing and participation in procurement
Q21. Which supply strategy can improve availability and reduce stock-outs of essential medicines?
- Poor forecasting and single-site procurement
- Pooled procurement and efficient inventory management
- Random purchasing from unregistered suppliers
- Ad-hoc emergency imports only
Correct Answer: Pooled procurement and efficient inventory management
Q22. Which statement about EML and national regulation is correct?
- EML replaces the need for national drug regulation
- EML complements regulation and guides procurement and prescribing policies
- EML mandates that only listed drugs may be manufactured
- EML is legally binding on private prescribers in all countries
Correct Answer: EML complements regulation and guides procurement and prescribing policies
Q23. Which type of medicine is commonly included in essential lists to address public health nutrition?
- Homeopathic remedies
- Vitamins and mineral supplements like iron and folic acid
- Cosmetic dermatological products
- Luxury nutraceuticals
Correct Answer: Vitamins and mineral supplements like iron and folic acid
Q24. Which practice should be avoided to maintain rational use of essential medicines?
- Prescribing by generic name when appropriate
- Using evidence-based treatment protocols
- Incentivizing prescribers to use costly brand-name drugs without justification
- Ensuring correct dosing and duration
Correct Answer: Incentivizing prescribers to use costly brand-name drugs without justification
Q25. What is the importance of including dosage forms and strengths in an essential medicines list?
- To confuse supply chain managers
- To ensure appropriate formulation for target populations and dosing accuracy
- To promote only injectable forms worldwide
- To restrict pharmacists from substituting generics
Correct Answer: To ensure appropriate formulation for target populations and dosing accuracy
Q26. Which of the following best describes the relationship between essential medicines and public health priorities?
- Essential medicines are chosen irrespective of disease burden
- Selection is guided by the most pressing health needs and burden of disease in the population
- Essential medicines only focus on rare diseases
- Selection depends solely on pharmaceutical company recommendations
Correct Answer: Selection is guided by the most pressing health needs and burden of disease in the population
Q27. Which mechanism can countries use under TRIPS to improve access to essential medicines during public health emergencies?
- Issuing compulsory licenses to manufacture or import generics
- Extending patent monopolies indefinitely
- Banning generics entirely
- Requiring only brand-name imports
Correct Answer: Issuing compulsory licenses to manufacture or import generics
Q28. What is a practical benefit of maintaining a national essential medicines list for procurement?
- Increases procurement complexity and costs
- Standardizes purchasing, improves forecasting, and reduces costs through bulk buying
- Eliminates need for quality assurance
- Limits availability to urban hospitals only
Correct Answer: Standardizes purchasing, improves forecasting, and reduces costs through bulk buying
Q29. Which factor is least relevant when deciding to include a medicine in an essential list?
- Demonstrated public health impact
- Clinical efficacy and safety
- High retail price irrespective of benefit
- Cost-effectiveness compared to alternatives
Correct Answer: High retail price irrespective of benefit
Q30. Which statement best captures the goal of essential medicines policies?
- To limit patient access to only a few drugs
- To ensure equitable access to safe, effective, and affordable medicines necessary for priority health care
- To favor only imported medicines
- To mandate the use of the latest patented drugs regardless of cost
Correct Answer: To ensure equitable access to safe, effective, and affordable medicines necessary for priority health care
I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
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