An evaluation of the Essential Medicines List, Standard Treatment Guidelines and prescribing restrictions, as an integrated strategy to enhance quality, efficacy and safety of and improve access to essential medicines in Papua New Guinea.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has advocated the development and use of country specific Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) and Essential Medicines Lists (EML) as strategies to promote the rational use of medicines. When implemented effectively STGs offer many health advantages. Papua New Guinea (PNG) has official STGs and a Medical and Dental Catalogue (MDC) which serves as a national EML for use at different levels of health facilities.

An investigation on the influence of a vinyl pyrrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymer on the moisture permeation, mechanical and adhesive properties of aqueous-based hydroxypropyl methylcellulose film coatings.

Polymers for aqueous film coating, such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), often require the inclusion of a plasticizer to reduce brittleness and increase flexibility and ductility. A vinyl pyrrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymer (S630) was investigated for its influence on HPMC film coating parameters, comparing the results with a commonly used plasticizer, polyethylene glycol and another copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol. The viscous properties of the solutions and the glass transition temperatures of the equivalent polymer films were evaluated.