OBJECTIVE：To provide reference for the further improvement of national essential medicines system. METHODS： Taking the “Bull’s-eye” city Chengdu as an example， based on the trading areas， the existing problems in implementing essential medicine system were analyzed by qualitative and quantitative research methods， and countermeasures were put forward. RESULTS：From the point of view of quantitative data， the first level trading areas of both proportions of medical personnel per thousand urban population and numbers of primary medical and health institutions per 100 thousands population in Chengdu were the lowest. From 2010 to 2012， the outpatient and inpatients increased 1.09 million people and 0.16 million beds per day in Chengdu primary health care institutions， the largest increase in the first level trading areas， and increase and decrease in the second and third level trading areas； outpatient and inpatient drug costs fell respectively 4 yuan and 109 yuan， medicine proportion declined 6.7％， increase in the first level trading areas， and decreased to varying degrees in the second and third level trading areas. From the point of view of qualitative interviews， the service ability got enhancement， but still could not meet the services demand， especially the pressure in the first level trading areas near center district remains heavy； drug cost was under controlled， but the subsidies needs to be increased， the per capita drug costs in the first level trading areas remains high； the drug income and medicine proportion were inhibited， especially the significant fell in the second and third level area， but the decrease of income may restrict development. CONCLUSIONS： It is suggested that more targeted drugs are needed for meeting the services demand， more sophisticated policy are needed for improving the subsidies， and more comprehensive medical conditions are needed for ensuring institutions’ development.