The National Essential Medicines List for the Benefit of People's Livelihood is undergoing new adjustments

The National Essential Medicines List has ushered in a new round of adjustments.
On July 9th, the National Health Commission, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the State Administration for Disease Control and Prevention announced the 2026 version of the National Essential Medicines List, which will come into effect on September 1st, 2026.
The National Essential Medicines List is the basis for the allocation and use of drugs in medical institutions. That is to say, the national essential drug list is an important basis for determining what to prepare and use for clinical medication when the public seeks medical treatment and doctors prescribe medication.
The new version of the catalogue has been adjusted from 685 kinds of drugs in the past to 794 kinds, including 476 kinds of chemical drugs and biological products, and 318 kinds of traditional Chinese patent medicines and simple preparations. It has been expanded in a practical way, responding to the most concerned drug demand of the masses.
With the development of the economy and society, the gradual deepening of population aging, the increasing demand for health among residents, and the advancement of drug technology research and development, the disease spectrum and clinical medication structure have undergone changes. "Gong Xiangguang, Director of the Drug Department of the National Health Commission, introduced that according to preliminary estimates, the use of drugs in the new catalog accounts for 71% of the total use of drugs in public medical and health institutions in China.
What drugs have been added to the new version of the "Medication List"?
——Focus on medication for common and frequently occurring diseases.
"This adjustment has added 68 kinds of chemicals and biological products, focusing on the high incidence rate and common diseases in primary medical and health institutions." Hu Xin, chief expert and chief pharmacist of the Pharmacy Department of Beijing Hospital, introduced, for example, 5 new drugs for diabetes, 4 drugs for hypertension, 7 drugs for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 8 drugs for common gastrointestinal diseases.
Hu Xin stated that this is beneficial for doctors to have more medication choices for patients during treatment, as well as for expanding the types of primary medications, strengthening the connection between primary medications, and meeting the medication needs of patients in different situations.
——Include more innovative drugs.
This time, the newly added drugs have expanded the coverage of disease types, and 16 innovative drugs have been included in the new version of the basic drug catalog. Hu Xin said that these drugs have high clinical value, a large audience, and are suitable for medical and health institutions at all levels to equip and use. They will promote pharmaceutical innovation research and development achievements to benefit the public more and improve the accessibility of medication for the public.
Next, the National Health Commission will promote the standardized application of innovative drugs in conjunction with the innovative development of the pharmaceutical industry. According to relevant regulations, the time from the launch of innovative drugs to their inclusion in the Essential Medicines List will be shortened through regular dynamic adjustments and optimizations, supporting the development of innovative drugs.
——The "family" of traditional Chinese patent medicines and simple preparations has grown stronger.
Traditional Chinese medicine is a treasure of Chinese civilization, with unique advantages in disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and other aspects. There are 48 new traditional Chinese patent medicines and simple preparations in this adjustment.
"The new traditional Chinese patent medicines and simple preparations basically covers the clinical branches of traditional Chinese medicine, while focusing on the dominant diseases of traditional Chinese medicine, new drugs for heart, lung, brain, gynecology and pediatrics are added." Cao Junling, deputy secretary of the Party Committee and chief pharmacist of the Oriental Hospital of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, introduced that the new traditional Chinese patent medicines and simple preparations includes Class I new drugs, and supports the clinical application of ethnic medicine.
——Facing the 'little troubles' of children's medication.
This update and adjustment pay special attention to the issue of medication for children, focusing on common diseases in children and expanding the types of drugs suitable for children. Zhao Chengsong, Executive Vice President of Beijing Children's Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, introduced that there are 31 new drugs suitable for children, including 5 special drugs for children.
At present, the new version of the catalog has increased the number of varieties with clear usage and dosage for children to 317, including 22 specialized drugs for children, further improving the accessibility of medication for children.
Zhao Chengsong said that the new version of the catalog also focuses on adding dosage form specifications suitable for children, such as granules, oral solutions, suspensions, etc. The number of specifications suitable for children in the new catalog has increased to 905, helping to solve the problem of children's "medication relying on breaking and dosage relying on guessing".
The medical insurance drug list and the national essential drug list are important institutional arrangements for safeguarding people's health. How to effectively coordinate and connect the two?
Xu Na, Deputy Director of the Medical Service Management Department of the National Medical Insurance Administration, stated that in 2026, the adjustment of the medical insurance drug list specifies that drugs included in the current version of the National Essential Medicines List can be declared. The newly added drug varieties in this adjustment of the basic drug catalog are all medical insurance drugs. In the subsequent adjustment of the national medical insurance drug catalog, according to the adjustment of the new version of the basic drug catalog, the eligible varieties will be prioritized for adjustment in the A and B categories according to the procedure, in order to reduce the burden of medication on patients.
We will further promote the management of the allocation and use of essential drugs, enhance the ability to standardize the use of essential drugs, ensure that medical and health institutions at all levels can match and use them well, promote the connection of medication, and enable the public to use the same drugs as large hospitals in primary medical and health institutions near their doorstep, "said Gong Xiangguang.