OBJECTIVE： To provide reference for optimizing and improving the essential medicine supplement catalog in Jiangsu province. METHODS： The medicines were classified from the format， varieties， forms and other aspects， Jiangsu Provincial Medicine Supplement Catalog in Medical and Health Institutions （2011 edition），referred to Provincial Additional List （2011 edition） and Jiangsu Provincial Essential Medicine Supplement Catalog（2015 edition）， referred to Provincial Additional List （2015 edition） were compared. RESULTS： The varieties of dosage forms and/or specifications （referred to supplement dosage forms/specifications） in national essential medicine list were not serial numbered in Provincial Additional List （2011 edition）， while in 2015 edition

they were marked by the serial number in the National Essential Medicine List （2012 edition） Compared with Provincial Additional List （2011 edition）， in 2015 edition it increased “14. diagnostic medication”classification and reduced the“5. medicine for mental disorders”； supplementary varieties decreased from 281 to 219， and supplement dosage forms/specifications increased from 19 to 99. The chemical medicine supplement dosage form in Provincial Additional List （2015 edition) was mainly oral liquids and injection forms， the oral lipids mainly included tablets， dispersible tablets and capsules， injection forms mainly included injections， the maximum supplement forms were injections， tablets and capsules； Chinese patent medicine supplemented the tablets and pills most. CONCLUSIONS： The over all tend of variety number in Essential Medicine Supplement Catalog in Jiangsu province istobe stable， Its supplementary role mainly reflects on the supplementary dosage forms and/or specifications.