Marketing of obsolete antibiotics in Central America

In 1977 the World Health Organisation published a list of essential drugs that would provide the basis for rational drug utilisation in developing countries. Only 16 antibiotics were included. A review of antibiotics marketed in Central America revealed that in only two of eight countries were less than 200 antibiotic drug products sold. At least a third of these were drug combinations of questionable value. Adequate information about adverse drug effects was frequently not provided to doctors in the manufacturers' drug descriptions. Furthermore compounds could be obtained without prescription. Thus there is a high potential risk for misuse of antibiotics in the countries studied which might be reduced by adhering to the principles outlined in the W.H.O. report on essential drugs.