B2IELTS-style · Band 5.5–6.5Reading18 min

IELTS Reading: WHO Essential Medicines List

Pharmacies and everyday medicines

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IELTS Academic Reading • B2 ⏱️ Estimated Time: 18 Mins

Pharmacies and Everyday Medicines

Learn how the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines guides global healthcare choices.

💡 How to use this lesson

T For the Teacher

1. Set an 18-minute time limit for students to complete the reading passage and all ten interactive questions independently.

2. Review student scores together, using the explanations shown after each answer to explain correct choices quickly.

S For the Learner

1. Read the four short paragraphs (A to D) carefully to understand the main ideas and the author's cautious perspective.

2. Answer questions 1 through 10, then review the explanations shown after each answer to check your understanding.

Example sentence pattern

"The pharmacist told me to take this medicine three times daily."

Why this works: It clearly states who gave the instruction, what action to take, and how often to take the medication.

Reading Passage

The WHO Model List of Essential Medicines

4 Paragraphs (A–D)

The World Health Organization, or WHO, publishes a Model List of Essential Medicines. WHO says that it has published the list every two years since 1977. The first list in 1977 included about 200 medicines. In 2007, WHO published the first list of essential medicines for children.

WHO says that the 2025 edition of the list includes over 520 medicines, and 374 of them are for children. WHO also says that over 150 countries have national lists of essential medicines that are based on the WHO Model List.

WHO says that essential medicines are only a small proportion of all the medicines that people can buy in the world. It says that the use of a limited number of carefully selected medicines can lead to better supply, better prescribing and lower costs.

I think the list shows that experts choose medicines for the most important needs, but it seems that the number of medicines on it says little about how easily people can get them. The figures describe the model list only, so I do not think they show what a local pharmacy sells or what each country's own list contains.

Questions 1–3: Yes / No / Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the reading passage?
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

1. The WHO Model List of Essential Medicines has been updated every two years since it was first introduced.

____ Yes ____ No ____ Not Given

2. The majority of medicines on the 2025 WHO list are intended exclusively for adults.

____ Yes ____ No ____ Not Given

3. Manufacturing costs for individual essential medicines have dropped significantly since 1977.

____ Yes ____ No ____ Not Given

Questions 4–6: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter, a, b, c, or d.

4. According to Paragraph C, what is one major benefit of relying on a limited selection of essential medicines?

____ a. It eliminates the need for national lists in individual countries. ____ b. It helps improve supply chains, medical prescribing, and overall costs. ____ c. It allows local pharmacies to stock every medicine available worldwide. ____ d. It guarantees that children receive free medical treatment.

5. In Paragraph D, what cautious view does the writer express regarding the WHO list figures?

____ a. The numbers prove exactly what items are stocked in every local pharmacy. ____ b. The total count of listed medicines does not show how easily people can access them. ____ c. National medicine lists are completely identical to the WHO Model List. ____ d. Experts often choose medicines based on commercial popularity rather than actual need.

6. What can be inferred from Paragraph D about national lists of essential medicines?

____ a. They contain fewer than 200 medicines in total across all regions. ____ b. They are published directly by local pharmacies rather than governments. ____ c. The WHO list figures do not necessarily reveal the specific contents of individual national lists. ____ d. They were all created in 1977 at the exact same time as the first WHO list.

Questions 7–8: Matching Information to Paragraphs

Which paragraph contains the following information? Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

7. A mention of the year when a dedicated essential medicines list for younger patients was introduced

____ Paragraph A ____ Paragraph B ____ Paragraph C ____ Paragraph D

8. A comparison highlighting that essential medicines represent only a small fraction of global medicine sales

____ Paragraph A ____ Paragraph B ____ Paragraph C ____ Paragraph D

Questions 9–10: Summary Completion

Complete the summary below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Summary: Selecting a limited group of treatments can bring several practical advantages to healthcare systems. According to Paragraph C, using a smaller list leads to better supply, improved ____ (9), and lower costs.

Summary continued: However, as noted in Paragraph D, the size of the list does not indicate how easily ____ (10) can obtain these products in practice.

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