Abstract
Background: The concepts of essential medicines and rational drug therapy are necessary to be understood undergraduate students.

Aims and Objectives: (i) To make the second MBBS students aware regarding essential medicine lists (EMLs) through “student assignment.” (ii) To find out differences between 18th and 19th World Health Organization EMLs.

Materials and Methods: The assignment-based activity was conducted in pharmacology theory lectures of the fifth semester MBBS batch at Pramukhswami Medical College, Gujarat. A total of 98 undergraduate and four postgraduate students participated in the activity. Students were divided into 19 groups and assigned different categories of EMLs. All the groups were asked to study the assigned categories and prepare the information regarding the 18th and 19th EMLs for presentation in the next session. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

Results: Of 19 groups, four groups submitted the answers through WhatsApp on the same day of assignment. However, only one among the four groups submitted complete and correct answers. Among all groups, presentation of five groups was either incomplete or incorrect. There are total 30 categories in both 18th and 19th EMLs. There are total 409 drugs including 27 fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) in the 19th EML as compared to 377 drugs including 24 FDCs in the 18th EML. However, three new subcategories were added in the 19th EML.

Conclusion: This EML-based activity needs to be implemented and repeatedly practiced for the undergraduate MBBS students to make them understand P-drug concept, rational use of medicines now during the student life and also in future during their professional life.

Key words: Essential Medicine List; Undergraduate Activity; Rational Drug Therapy