(GIST OF YOJANA) Making Quality Medicines Available to the Common Man [JUNE-2018]

(GIST OF YOJANA) Making Quality Medicines Available to the Common Man

[JUNE-2018]

Making Quality Medicines Available to the Common Man

It is an irony that even after 70 years of Independence, only around 40 per cent of the populations are able to afford branded medicines. The branded medicines market is approximately 1 lakh 20 thousand crores, whereas, 6 out of 10 people of the population don't have access to the branded medicines. However, the bright side of the picture is, India is one of the leading countries to export world class generic medicines to around 200 countries. Out of every 6 medicines consumed in the world, one is from India. Look at the dichotomy -on the one hand 6 out of 10 persons do not have access to medicines, whereas India is within the first four countries of the World, producing quality generic medicines exporting to other countries. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is a scheme designed to bridge the above dichotomy. It is dedicated to provide quality medicines at an affordable price to every citizen of the country, irrespective of caste, creed and economy. The intention is to provide health security to our country-men, at the earliest, as soon as possible.
With a view to achieve the objective of making available quality generic medicines at affordable prices to all, ‘Jan Aushadhi Scheme’ was launched by Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India in November 2008 across the country. The Scheme is being implemented through the Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI), Gurgaon, Haryana which is working under administrative control of Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India. But till 2015, only 99 PMBJP Kendras were functional. In September 2015, the ‘Jan Aushadhi Scheme’ was revamped as ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana’ (PMJAY). To give impetus to the scheme and for greater outreach, the scheme was again renamed as ‘Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana’ (PMBJP) in December 2016 which was followed by a media campaign in national and regional newspapers inviting individuals to participate in the scheme.

Salient Features of the Pariyojana:

• Ensure access to quality medicines for all sections of the population especially for the poor and the deprived ones.
• Extend coverage of quality generic medicines so as to reduce and thereby redefine the unit cost of treatment per person. Quality procurement through WHO-GMP and CPSUs manufactures and each batch is released only after clearance from NABL labs.
• Create awareness about generic medicines through education and publicity to counter the perception that quality is synonymous with high price.
• Be a public programme involving Government, PSUs, Private Sector, NGO, Societies, Co-operation Bodies and other Institutions.
• Generate employment by engaging individuals entrepreneurs in opening of Jan Aushadhi Kendras.

• Financial support of Rs.2.5 lakhs shall be extended where space is provided free of cost by State Government to operating agency.
• Financial support of Rs.2.5 lakhs shall be extended to Government Agencies where space will be provided free of cost in any government building owned by government bodies like Railways/State Transport Department/Urban Local Bodies/Panchayati Raj Institutions/Post Offices/Defence/PSUs etc.
• PMBJK opened by any individual’s entrepreneurs shall be extended an incentive up to Rs. 2.5 lakhs.
• SC/ST and differently abled persons shall be benefitted with free medicines worth of Rs. 50,000/- in the beginning.
• 700+ medicines and 154 surgical and consumables available in the basket for sale through PMBJK. Shortly the basket will be enhanced to 1000 medicines.
• Appointed 8 C&F agents in different States and many more are in the pipeline for better supply chain management.
• Appointed 54 distributors spread over different states for better availability.
• Many State Government entered MoU for implementing PMBJP in their States.

Accessibility:

Number of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya J anaushadhi Kendras functioning has reached more than 3500 (spread over 33 States/UTS). Per day average sale of per Kendra is Rs. 3300/which is equivalent to Rs. 15,000/sales of branded products. BPPI is opening 4-5 Kendras per day across the country. PMBJP Kendra now present in 33 States/U Ts of the country. Out of the total 718 districts in the country 584 districts have been covered by opening of PMBJP Kendras.

PMBJP has drastically brought down the prices of quality medicines and made medicines available within the reach of large section of population especially the poor. Medicines available under PMBJP are prices 50-90 per cent less than that of branded prices, leading to saving of around 400 crores to the citizens as evident.

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Courtesy: Yojana