Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Mansukh Mandaviya said that under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), being implemented by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, any medicine is priced on the concept of a maximum of 50 per cent of the average price of the top three brands of the said medicine. Thus, the prices of Jan Aushadhi Medicines are cheaper at least by 50 per cent. In some cases, when compared to the branded medicines, the prices of Jan Aushadhi Medicines are cheaper by 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the prevailing market price.
The Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya was replying to a question asked in the Lok Sabha on the issue of health and welfare. The minister further said that the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), which is the implementing agency of the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) scheme, has warehouses situated at Gurugram, Chennai and Guwahati. Along with that, thirty-nine distributors are spread all across the country. A total of three more warehouses have been visualized, thus taking the total number of warehouses to six by March 2025.
As of 31st of January 2022, around 8,675 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana Kendras have been set up in all the districts of the country so as to ensure the accessibility of quality and affordable generic medicines. In order to ensure the availability of medicines, an Information Technology (IT) enabled End-to-End supply chain system, i.e., Supply Chain Management System has been implemented by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India.
Also, the Point-of-Sale (POS) application for value-added services has been clubbed with the logistics system for efficient monitoring of the end to end supply chain management system. All the warehouses have been supplied and connected with the SAP-based inventory management system and the demand forecasting is being done through the SAP’s inventory management system so as to place orders as per the desired inventory levels.
Price Regulation of Medicines Under the Janaushadhi Yojana
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) which falls under the Department of Pharmaceuticals is tasked with regulating the prices of all the drugs – whether branded or generic. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority fixes the ceiling price of the scheduled drugs that are specified in the first schedule of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, whereas in the case of the non-scheduled drugs, the manufacturers of the drugs are given a free hand to fix the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) for the drug.
However, the Drug Price Control Orders (DPCO) takes care that the prices of the non-scheduled drugs do not increase by more than 10 per cent of their maximum retail price during the last twelve months. The statement further said that the details of the retail ceiling prices fixed and revised by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority can be availed on National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority’s website www.nppaindia.nic.in.
The Union Minister further said that the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India spreads awareness about generic medicines through multiple avenues of advertisements such as through television, FM Radio, auto wrapping, promotions through cinema, bus brandings, banners at state transport bus stands, digital screen advertisements at railway stations, and so on.
In addition to that, the PMBI also educates the public regularly on the usages of Jan Aushadhi generic medicines. The help of various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and many others are also taken to propagate the awareness exponentially. Along with the above-said methods, the Bureau, from time to time also organizes seminars and workshops to spread awareness about the scheme. Further, to propagate the achievements of the scheme and create awareness among the masses about its benefits, the Jan Aushadhi Diwas is celebrated every year on the 7th of March.
