Libya launches its first National Formulary to reform pharmaceutical system

A formulary is an official list of prescription medicines approved for coverage by a health insurance plan, hospital, or medical system, including both generic and brand-name drugs selected for safety, effectiveness, and cost. This initiative will influence which medicines, brands, and countries are involved in imports. The creation of such a list has faced resistance from medical importers over decades, with previous governments failing to establish one.

The MSO developed the LNF in partnership with the Pharmacy Department of the Ministry of Health, the Drug Control Department of the National Centre for Food and Drug Control, the General Syndicate of Pharmacists, the National Centre for Disease Control, private pharmaceutical companies, and national experts. The LNF aims to provide a unified national reference for the selection, prescribing, dispensing, and use of medications, based on scientific principles and treatment protocols. This launch signifies a shift in drug management in Libya, moving towards a comprehensive national system that covers the entire drug cycle, from identifying needs and evaluating medications to procurement, supply, storage, distribution, prescribing, dispensing, use, monitoring, and evaluation.