Around 10000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras expected to be functional by year end: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India

There are currently four warehouses in the country under Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), located at Gurugram, Chennai, Guwahati, and Surat, with the Central Warehouse at Gurugram being the largest.

As part of the interaction, the media persons visited the different wings of the warehouse and were familiarized with the way the medicines are catalogued, the temperature and humidity conditions in which they are stored, and the end-to-end supply chain management system implemented under PMBJP.

Dadhich further said, "Effective logistics is essential in offloading, and storage of medicines, else a lot of time will be lost in the delivery of medicines."

Currently, PMBJP is providing 1800 medicines, as well as 285 surgical devices at highly subsidized prices without compromising on quality.

Highlighting the emphasis on the quality of medicines, Dadhich said, "Each batch of the drugs after its receipt at the warehouses is tested at laboratories accredited by 'National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) for ensuring the best quality. PMBI places the highest importance on the quality parameters and regularly conducts checks to ensure good quality of medicines."

In the last nine years, the number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras under PMBJP has seen significant growth, with their numbers increasing by 100 times and the sales have also increased more than 170 times. In all, during the past nine years, total savings of approximately Rs 20,000 crores for the citizens have been possible due to this scheme.

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, Government of India.

Under this scheme, dedicated outlets known as Janaushadhi Kendras are opened to provide generic medicines. The government has adopted a franchisee-like model and individual entrepreneurs to apply for establishing and running PMBJP Kendra was undertaken As of May 31, 2023, 9484 Janaushadhi Kendras are functional across the country. The products under PMBJP are sold at retail shops at 50 per cent to 90 per cent lower costs than branded medicines.