New Delhi: One government generic drug store will open every two hours across the country until 2027, a government official said, continuing a push to ensure better availability of good quality and affordable medicines.
The scheme to open many more Jan Aushadhi Kendras is being implemented through the Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) and is aimed at reducing out-of-pocket expenditure for medicines, the bureau’s CEO Ravi Dadhich said in an interview.
The plan, part of the government’s Jan Ausjhadhi Pariyojana, involves setting up 27,000 generic drug stores by 2027. Around 14,600 stores are operational in as of now. Till March this year, the government aims to surpass the target of 15,000-plus Kendras.
“Our aim is to achieve the target of 25,000 Kendras much before the deadline. Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana is growing at a very fast pace. In the current financial year, the Jan Aushadhi medicines worth approx. ₹1,450 crore have been sold till December 2024, which has led to the savings of ₹7,200 crore to the citizens,” Dadhich said.
Last year, from 1 January to 31 December, around 4,595 Jan Aushadhi Kendras were opened—a rate of around 12 a day, or one every two hours.
Procuring medicines
Under the scheme generic medicines are procured from drug makers that are certified by the World Health Organization for their Good Manufacturing Practices (WHO-GMP). There are around 200 drug firms which are supplying generic medicines to the Kendras.
“Each batch of the drug after its receipt at the warehouses is tested at laboratories accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) to ensure best quality,” he said.
Earlier, Mint reported that that inspired by the India’s efforts to make affordable medicines accessible to the public, 14 countries from the Global South such as Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, are considering adopting its generic pharmacy model, according to two people familiar with the development.
The first overseas Jan Aushadhi Kendra was opened in Mauritius.
The scheme makes available a product basket of 2,047 medicines and 300 consumables and devices.
Also, to ensure easy availability of menstrual health services at affordable prices for women, Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Sanitary Napkins are made available at ₹1 per pad at these Kendras.
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