In November 2008, the Department of Pharmaceuticals introduced the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) in India to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses. The scheme was previously named as ‘Jan Aushadhi’.
The policy’s mission includes:
India is the one of the largest supplier of generic drugs in the world. Yet, the country’s marginalised populations have limited access to medicines as branded medicines are sold at significantly higher prices than their unbranded generic equivalents, despite of being identical in the therapeutic value. Therefore, there is an urgent need to ensure availability of cheaper generics to citizens; this is in the best interest of these populations. With the vision to provide quality generic medicines to all citizens, the government’s Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana brings this concept to reality.
The scheme is being implemented by the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (BPPI), under the administrative control of the Department of Pharmaceuticals and the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers. It covers >1,250 medicines and 204 surgical & consumables in all key therapeutic categories such as anti-infective, anti-allergic, anti-diabetics, cardiovascular, anti-cancers and gastrointestinal medicines.
As of March 2021, ~7,500 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana Kendras were operational in India. Under the PMBJP Kendras, a medicine is priced on the principle of a maximum of 50% of the average price of the top three branded medicines. Therefore, the cost of Jan Aushadhi medicines is cheaper by ~50% and in some cases, by 80-90% of the market price for branded medicines.
For applicants interested in opening a Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana Kendra, the key required criteria and services offered are as follows:
The procedure for opening a Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana Kendra are as follows:
On June 04, 2018, the Department of Pharmaceuticals announced the availability of Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Oxo-Biodegradable Sanitary Napkins at Rs. 2 (34 cents) to ensure easy accessibility of and provide affordable sanitary napkins to women in India. These napkins are available for sale in >6,500 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana Kendras across the country.
The government introduced the Janaushadhi Sugam mobile application, a digital platform, to help citizens facilitate services such as locate a nearby PMBJP Kendra, search Jan Aushadhi medicines, analyse/compare maximum retail prices (MRP) of products (including generic medicines vs. branded medicines) and overall savings.
With the health sector being a priority, the Government of India is continuously working to provide affordable treatments and medicines at cheaper prices to its citizens. The demand for generic medicines is rising as the Jan Aushadhi stores, across the country, are serving 10-15 lakh people per day. By the year 2024, the government aims to establish 10,000 Jan Aushadhi stores in the country.