Cabinet scraps essential drugs list and pricing method

The Cabinet has approved a proposal to scrap the Essential Drugs List 2026 and the Drug Price Determination Method 2026.

The proposal was approved on Monday afternoon during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat.

A press release issued by the Cabinet Division following the meeting confirmed the decision.

According to the press release, the government remains committed to ensuring safe, effective, high-quality, and affordable medicines for the public.

It further said that the rationale behind scrapping the Essential Drugs List 2026 and the Drug Price Determination Method 2026 stems from a statutory requirement under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 2023, which stipulates that the National Drug Advisory Council must be consulted prior to formulating the essential drugs list—a procedure that was not observed.

Formulated in January 2026 during the interim government’s tenure, the essential drugs list and pricing policy were drafted without consulting the National Drug Advisory Council.

A writ petition challenging their legal validity was subsequently filed in the High Court, where the matter currently remains sub judice.

Meanwhile, on 29 June, the National Drug Advisory Council was constituted in accordance with the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 2023. The Cabinet has also approved a proposal to include the Director General of health services in this advisory council.

However, despite the cancellation of this year’s essential drugs list and pricing policy, the essential drugs list formulated under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s 1994 order, along with the government pricing mechanism for those medicines, will remain in force as before.

A decision has been taken to update the essential drugs list. Drug prices will be determined in a manner that avoids placing an additional burden on the people while maintaining healthy competition in the market.

Zakir Hossain, former Secretary General of the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI), welcomed the Cabinet’s decision.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said, “The pharmaceutical industry had been facing a stagnant situation for nearly two years. The Cabinet’s decision will resolve this impasse and restore stability to the market. Industry owners have shown complete sincerity, and it is hoped that the prevailing legal complexities will now be resolved.”