Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical ATC Classification

These guidelines contain recommendations on the identification and management of substance use and substance use disorders for health care services which… Cannabis is globally the most commonly used psychoactive substance under international control. The first edition was published in 2013 and summarized the evidence of drug use prevention at the global level.

• Gram-negative bacteria have built-in abilities to find new ways to resist treatment and can pass along genetic material that allows other bacteria to become drug-resistant as well.
• Drug consumption can be expressed in cost, number of units, number of prescriptions or by the physical quantity of drugs.
• Evidence, including systematic reviews, about treatment of opioid dependence and management of opioid overdose will be presented to the GDG.
• Medicinal products containing two or more active ingredients are regarded as combinations in the ATC classification system and given different ATC codes from the product with a single component (one active ingredient).

More than 36 million years of healthy life loss (DALY) were attributable to drug use in 2019. Psychoactive drugs are substances that, when taken in or administered into one’s system, affect mental processes, e.g. perception, consciousness, cognition or mood and emotions. English and Spanish versions of the publications are available. Both publications are updated annually and available electronically and in hard copies. The ATC/DDD guidelines and the Index were both published for the first time in the current format in 1990.

Treatment and care for people with drug use disorders in contact with the criminal justice system: alternatives…

In resolution S-30/1, the General Assembly adopted the outcome document of the special session on the world drug problem entitled “Our joint commitment to effectively addressing and countering the world drug problem”. Target 3.5 of UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 sets out a commitment by governments to strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse. Since its creation, WHO has played an important role within the UN system in addressing the world drug problem.

WHO invites public comments on guideline development group – Deadline: 25 Feb 2025

This feedback helps WHO develop high-quality guidelines that reflect diverse perspectives and respond to the needs of communities worldwide. To ensure transparency and inclusivity, WHO invites members of the public and interested organizations to review the biographies of the GDG members and provide feedback. GDG members were selected by WHO technical staff based on their technical expertise, their role as end-users (e.g., programme managers and healthcare providers), and their representation of affected communities. In the choice of treatment, WHO recommends OAMT to be used for most patients as the intervention with strongest evidence of effectiveness for variety of outcomes.

Drug use and road safety

DDDs are normally assigned based on use in adults.For medical products approved for use in children, the dose recommendations will differ based on age and body weight. The DDDs are allocated to drugs by the WHO Collaborating Centre in Oslo, working in close association with the WHO International Working Group on Drug Statistics Methodology. This limits comparisons of drug consumption at an international level. Drug consumption can be expressed in cost, number of units, number of prescriptions or by the physical quantity of drugs.

Global status report on alcohol and health and treatment of substance use disorders

Medicinal products containing two or more active ingredients are regarded as combinations in the ATC classification system and given Drug Treatment and Recovery different ATC codes from the product with a single component (one active ingredient). This will often give several classification alternatives and the main indication is decided by the WHO International Working Group for Drug Statistics Methodology on the basis of available literature and a qualified assumption of the most prevalent indication worldwide. The challenge occurs when a medicinal product (same strength and route of administration) is approved and used for two or more equally important indications, and the main therapeutic use differs from one country to another.

Guidelines

• Changes to the index are made annually and a cumulative list including all ATC and DDD alterations made since 1982 is available  here .
• The ATC/DDD guidelines and the Index were both published for the first time in the current format in 1990.
• For drugs where the recommended dosage differs for different indications (e.g. antipsychotics) it is important that diagnosis is linked to the prescribed daily dose given.
• These include reduction in non-medical opioid use, mortality and morbidity (including due to opioid overdose, HIV and viral hepatitis), lowering risk of crime and incarceration, better retention in treatment, quality of life and overall wellbeing.
• WHO updates guidelines on opioid dependence treatment and overdose prevention

Guidelines for the psychosocially assisted pharmacological treatment of opioid dependence (2009) In many ATC main groups, pharmacological groups have been assigned on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th levels allowing drugs with several therapeutic uses to be included, without specifying the main indication. Tanzania making steady progress in access to essential medicines and health products as new challenges emerge

Guidelines for ATC Classification and DDD assignment

The new framework proposes a unified approach to prevent the emergence and spread of resistance and reduce its impact through integrated, people-centred strategies. Without urgent, coordinated action, it could lead to increased new infections and treatment failures and higher preventable morbidity and mortality, and undermine global elimination goals. Drug resistance is a major challenge to prevention and treatment efforts. Such drugs are usually only given one code and this may be a problem for users in countries where other uses are predominant. Substandard and falsified medical products This second review of the world medicines situation (first published in 1988 as The WorldDrug Situation) presents the available evidence on global production,…

High priority pathogens, such as Salmonella and Shigella, are of particularly high burden in low- and middle-income countries, along with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, which pose significant challenges in healthcare settings. The Framework builds on WHO’s Global health sector strategies and aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance. “Drug resistance threatens decades of progress in HIV, hepatitis and STI control. It emphasizes antimicrobial stewardship, stronger surveillance systems, and equitable access to high-quality prevention, diagnosis and treatment services for HIV, hepatitis B and C and STIs.

The system has fourteen main anatomical or pharmacological groups (1st level). In Hanoi, WHO’s collaboration provides a rosy picture of health Digital version of Essential Medicines list  (eEML) launched Promoting rational use of medicines Strengthening access to essential medicines

This list beganwith 208 identified medicines and has grown to include 460 differentpharmaceuticals. WHO works with partners and Member States to strengthen regulation,including post-marketing surveillance, and to eliminate substandard andfalsified medicines. They are thelargest public expenditure on health after personal costs in many low-incomecountries, and the expense is a major cause of household impoverishment anddebt.

Changes to the index are made annually and a cumulative list including all ATC and DDD alterations made since 1982 is available  here . For drugs where the recommended dosage differs for different indications (e.g. antipsychotics) it is important that diagnosis is linked to the prescribed daily dose given. The PDD can be determined from studies of prescriptions, medical or pharmacy records, and it is important to relate the PDD to the diagnosis on which the drug is used.

For example, low strength finasteride tablets used for treatment of baldness are classified under D11AX Other dermatologicals and the high strength tablets used for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are classified under G04C Drugs used in BPH. For example, calcium channel blockers are classified in the pharmacological group C08 (see classification of verapamil below), which avoids specifying whether the main indication is coronary heart disease or hypertension. Medicinal substances are classified according to their main therapeutic use on the basic principle of only one ATC code for each medicinal product (as defined by route of administration and in some cases strength).

Guidelines and recommendations concerning medicines, biologicals, vaccines, medical devices, herbals and related products WHO Drug Information is a quarterly journal providing an overview of topics relating to medicines development and regulation which is targeted to a wide audience of health professionals and policy makers. It is estimated that worldwide there are almost 14.8 million people who inject drugs, of whom 15.2% live with HIV and 38.8% – with hepatitis C. Production, distribution, sale or non-medical use of many psychoactive drugs is either controlled or prohibited outside legally sanctioned channels by law.

Millennium Development Goal 8E aims for affordable access to essential medicines.Essential medicines, as defined by WHO, are those that “satisfy… This report provides a synthesis of the outcomes of the first paediatric drug optimization exercise that was held for Malaria. The PADO for epilepsy exercise aimed to support the identification of short- and long term priorities for epilepsy medicines for the paediatric age group,… WHO’s 6th Virtual cGMP Training Marathon concludes, reinforcing global manufacturing capacities Public expenditure ranges widely between nations, from under 20% of totalhealthcare costs in high-income countries to up to 66% in low-income countries. The price of medicine remains the largest impediment toaccess and the economic impact of pharmaceuticals is substantial.

Prescribed Daily Dose (PDD)

Despite this transition, investment in R&D and other prevention and control strategies for CRPA remains important, given its significant burden in some regions. The fact that third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales are listed as a standalone item within the critical priority category emphasizes their burden and need for targeted interventions, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Changes between the 2017 and 2024 lists “Antimicrobial resistance jeopardizes our ability to effectively treat high burden infections, such as tuberculosis, leading to severe illness and increased mortality rates,” said Dr Jérôme Salomon, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage, Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases. These pathogens require increased attention, especially in vulnerable populations including paediatric and elderly populations, particularly in resource-limited settings. Medium priority pathogens include Group A and B Streptococci (both new to the 2024 list), Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae, which present a high disease burden.

DDDs provide a fixed unit of measurement independent of price, currencies, package size and strength enabling the researcher to assess trends in drug utilization and to perform comparisons between population groups. An operational handbook accompanies the guidelines, providing practical advice for large-scale implementation. Primarily aimed at health policymakers and National TB Programme (NTP) managers, they also support healthcare providers and technical organizations engaged in TB care. WHO’s work on antimicrobial resistance For example, antibiotic-resistant Mycoplasma genitalium, which is not included in the list, is an increasing concern in some parts of the world.