China expands national essential medicines list to 794 drugs

China on Thursday released an updated national essential medicines list, expanding it from 685 to 794 items to better meet the public's basic medication needs.

The new list, jointly issued by the National Health Commission and two other government departments, includes 476 chemical drugs and biological products, as well as 318 traditional Chinese medicines. It will take effect on Sept 1.

The newly added items include medications for common and chronic conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and common digestive tract disorders.

Reflecting rapid pharmaceutical innovation, the updated list also includes 16 novel drugs, four of which are domestically developed Class 1 innovative medicines.

The revision also places particular emphasis on pediatric care. Among the newly added medicines, 31 are suitable for children, including five developed exclusively for pediatric use.

In addition, 48 traditional Chinese medicines have been added, mainly targeting conditions for which TCM is considered to have distinctive therapeutic advantages, including cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological and gynecological diseases.

Essential medicines are those that effectively and safely address a population's priority healthcare needs. The World Health Organization introduced the concept and published its first Essential Medicines List in 1977 to guide the selection of safe, effective and indispensable medicines.

China released its first national essential medicines list in 1982 and subsequently updated it in 2009, 2012 and 2018. The latest edition marks the fourth revision in recent years.