The National Citizen Party (NCP) has demanded that the interim government reverse its decision to scrap the expanded Essential Drugs List-2026 and Drug Price Determination Method-2026. In a joint statement issued Monday by convener Nahid Islam and member secretary Akhtar Hossain, the party called the move contrary to public interest and warned of a broader public movement if it is not withdrawn. The report was published on August 10, 2026.

NCP said the list had contained 117 medicines before the July mass uprising, claiming that about 40 percent had become ineffective in practice. It said reforms expanded the list to 295 medicines and introduced strict price controls, and claimed those medicines could meet the primary treatment needs of about 80 percent of people. The party also said earlier policy required companies to produce and supply essential medicines equal to at least 25 percent of annual sales.

The party alleged that the government reduced the list back to 117 medicines and weakened price controls in the interests of drug companies. NCP said higher prices could particularly affect patients with chronic illnesses and raise treatment costs for middle- and lower-income families. It sought effective price controls for 295 medicines, government control over maximum retail prices, and a science-based, public-oriented national drug policy.