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Gujarat Expands Free Medicine List to 1,479 Drugs, Adds 150 New Medicines

The Gujarat government has revised its Essential Drug List for 2025-26, increasing the total to 1,479 medicines, surgical items, and diagnostic supplies. The revision by Gujarat Medical Services Corporation Limited added 150 new medicines while removing 57 deemed unnecessary. These medicines will be provided free of cost across all levels of public healthcare, from primary health centres to medical college hospitals. The updated list shows significant increases in medicines for anti-infectives, respiratory conditions, and critical illnesses like heart disease and cancer.

Key Points: Gujarat Adds 150 Medicines to Free Essential Drug List for 2025-26

  • List expanded to 1,479 essential medicines
  • 150 new drugs added, 57 removed
  • Free distribution across all public health facilities
  • Includes medicines for heart disease, cancer, and mental health
2 min read

Gujarat expands Essential Drug List to 1,479; removes 57 medicines, adds 150 new ones

Gujarat revises its Essential Drug List, adding 150 medicines and removing 57. The free medicine list now covers 1,479 items for public healthcare.

"The best possible treatment and quality medicines for every patient in the state is our priority. - Praful Pansheriya"

Gandhinagar, March 5

The Gujarat government has expanded its Essential Drug List for 2025-26 by adding 150 medicines following a review of the existing list, a move aimed at strengthening the availability of free treatment across public healthcare facilities in the state.

Announcing the decision, state Health Minister Praful Pansheriya said the revised list now includes 1,479 essential medicines, including surgical items and diagnostic supplies, that will be provided free of cost to patients through the public health system.

The list earlier contained 1,386 medicines during 2024-25.

The revision was carried out by Gujarat Medical Services Corporation Limited (GMSCL) after reviewing the medicines currently in use across government facilities.

As part of the process, 150 new medicines were added while 57 medicines considered unnecessary after review were removed from the list.

Pansheriya said the medicines included in the EDL are supplied across all levels of public healthcare facilities, ranging from primary health centres in rural and urban areas to district hospitals and hospitals attached to medical colleges.

"The best possible treatment and quality medicines for every patient in the state is our priority," Pansheriya said.

"Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state government considers it a moral responsibility to ensure that quality healthcare services reach even the last person in the state," he added.

According to the minister, the state government revises the Essential Drug List every year to guide the procurement and supply of medicines across government hospitals.

Medicines and surgical items included in the list are distributed free of cost through public health institutions at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

The updated EDL includes 378 medicines meant for primary-level care and 628 medicines for secondary-level healthcare services.

The tertiary level list includes 1,475 medicines used in specialised and advanced medical treatment at larger hospitals.

The review has also increased the number of medicines available for several major disease categories.

Anti-infective medicines have risen from 202 to 216, respiratory medicines from 29 to 40, and eye medicines from 51 to 58. Medicines for gastrointestinal conditions have increased from 52 to 56, while the number of medical devices listed has gone up from 287 to 349.

The revised list also includes medicines for several critical illnesses. These include 116 medicines for heart diseases, 56 for cancer, 75 for neurological disorders and 43 for mental health conditions.

Pansheriya said the annual revision of the drug formulary ensures that the state's healthcare system remains updated and that patients receive modern and effective treatment through government health facilities.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good move on paper, but the real challenge is availability. I've been to a PHC where the essential drug list board is displayed, but half the medicines are perpetually 'out of stock'. Adding 150 is great, but GMSCL must ensure the supply chain is robust and these medicines actually reach the remote centres. That's where the focus should be.
A
Aman W
Increasing mental health medicines from the list is a very welcome and much-needed update. Mental health awareness is growing, but treatment is still expensive. Making 43 such medicines free will encourage more people to seek help without the stigma of cost. Hope other states follow.
S
Sarah B
As someone who has worked with healthcare NGOs, I appreciate the annual review process. Removing 57 'unnecessary' medicines is as important as adding new ones. It prevents waste of public funds and shelf space. Streamlining the list based on actual usage data is a smart, efficient approach.
K
Karthik V
The jump in medical devices from 287 to 349 is significant. Often, the cost of devices (like certain catheters or surgical tools) is passed on to patients even in government setups. If these are covered, it reduces the out-of-pocket expense drastically. Hope the implementation is smooth.
M
Meera T
While I welcome the expansion, I have a question about the quality. 'Free' should not mean 'sub-standard'. The minister said "quality medicines" – there must be strict, transparent quality checks at every GMSCL warehouse. We need trust in the public system's medicines as much as we need availability.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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