Objective To analyze chemical drugs included in the National Essential Medicines List (EML) of China, to provide reference on how to improve the selection criteria and strengthen management and supply of essential medicines. Methods Dosage form, specification and manufacturers of 201 kinds of chemical drugs included in the EML were retrieved through SFDA website, data collection and analysis were conducted using Excel software. Results Domestic chemical drugs in EML involved 24 kinds of dosage forms, 644 kinds of specifications, 37 854 kinds of drugs for sales, and 2 908 manufacturers. Imported chemical drugs in EML involved 12 kinds of dosage forms, 43 kinds of specifications, 113 kinds of drugs for sales, and 53 manufacturers. Included drugs were primarily normal dosage forms while chemical drugs had many different specifications. Medicines duplication in production was serious and the distribution in market was unbalanced. The sole and exclusive dosage form variety lacked of effective evidence. Selection mechanism and reevaluation needed to be developed. Conclusion It is suggested to include drug specification in EML, and refer to spectrum of diseases for detailed selection mechanism of essential drugs, reevaluation of the listed drugs and formulate strict drug bidding rules so as to optimize EML.