Plans are underway to open the Jan Aushadhi stores to about 1,000 major railway stations in India as part of the government's commitment to make quality medicines available at low cost to the public. Plans are also underway to open such outlets in bus stands in different states with the aim of bringing the network back to small towns and villages.
Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Ananth Kumar, said efforts are being made to ensure the prescription of generic medicines by physicians for the benefit of patients.
Kumar told "I am going to speak to Railways Minister Suresh Prahbu in the coming days to open Jan Aushadhi stores (JAS) in 1,000 main railway stations in the country,". The minister added "I am going to write to the state chief ministers and later speak to them to open JAS wherever there is a bus stand,".
He informed that as of 1320 PMBJP Kendras (PMBJKs) operate in the country in 30 states / UT, covering 426 districts, compared with only 80 open between 2008 and 2014. The turnover at the beginning of the project was around Rs 3 crores, which would increase to about Rs. 60 crores by the end of this year, he informed.
A total of 32,225 applications for opening PMBJP Kendras (PMBJKs) have been received out of which in-principle approval has been given to 30,300 applications, which is a proof of the huge opportunity this scheme provides for unemployed youth, according to Union minister for chemicals & fertilizers and parliamentary affairs, Ananth Kuma.
In order to ensure that good quality drugs are available from JAS, the Minister stated that only companies that meet the WHO-certified good manufacturing practices will be eligible for supplies.
"Of the 10,000 pharmaceutical companies in India, only 1,400 are GMP certified by WHO and only they can participate in the bidding process," Kumar added.
When asked to make the prescription of generic drugs mandatory by doctors, he said that the Medical Council of India has already issued a circular to doctors.
"Today 23 therapeutic areas are covered with 500 medicines and 150 health supplements in JAS," Kumar said, adding that the focus is on drugs for major diseases such as heart ailments, diabetes, respiratory problems, HIV and blood pressure.
The government also provides a legal framework for mandatory prescription of generic drugs, Kumar said, currently the Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics Act prevents pharmacies from giving the equivalent of generic drugs and all that is prescribed has to be given. A substitute cannot be given therefore we are going to bring in amendments in the Drugs & Cosmetics Act.
