Govt sets target to open 10000 Janaushadhi Kendras

With an objective of making quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all, Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers in 2008.
Under the scheme, dedicated outlets known as Janaushadhi Kendras are opened to provide generic medicines at affordable prices.
The Scheme is implemented by a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, viz., Pharma & Medical Bureau of India (PMBI).
The Scheme is operated by government agencies as well as by private entrepreneurs.

Objectives

Ensure access to quality medicines for all sections of the population especially the poor and the deprived ones. Prices of the Jan Aushadhi medicines are 50%-90% less than that of branded medicines prices in the open market.
Create awareness about generic medicines through education and publicity to counter the perception that quality is synonymous with high price only.
Generate employment by engaging individual entrepreneurs in opening of PMBJP Kendra.

The Government has set a target to open ten thousand Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras by March next year.
Nine thousand five hundred twelve PMBJKs have been opened across the country till the end of June this year.
About ten to 12 lakh people buy medicines on an average daily basis from Jan Aushadhi Kendras all across the country.

Related Information

What are generic drugs?

When a company develops a new drug — often after years of research — it applies for a patent, which prohibits anyone else from making the drug for a fixed period.
To recover the cost of research and development, companies usually price their brand- name drugs on the higher side.
Once the patent expires, other manufacturers duplicate and market their own versions of the drug.

Cost-effectiveness of generic medicines

Since the manufacture of these generic drugs do not involve a repeat of the extensive clinical trials to prove their safety and efficacy, it costs less to develop them. Generic drugs are, therefore, cheaper.
However, because the compounds in the generic versions have the same molecular structure as the brand-name version, they provide the same clinical benefits as its brand-name version. The generic drug has the same “active ingredient” as the brand-name drug. This ingredient is the one that cures the patient; and other, “inert ingredients”, which give the drug its colour, shape or taste, vary from the brand-name drug to the generics.
In addition, multiple applications for generic drugs are often approved to market a single product; this creates competition in the marketplace, typically resulting in lower prices. Typically results in prices about 85% less than the brand-name.

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