The government of India had earlier announced the plans to open 3,000 new Jan Aushadhi stories across the country of, which 1200 are functional so far.
Close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments that the Centre intends to ensure that doctors prescribe medicines by their generic names only, the Maharashtra health department has announced to set up Jan Aushadhi stores in all district hospitals, civic hospitals as well as in rural hospitals, or mental health institutes.
According to senior government officials, a high-level meeting was held a few days back to chalk out a plan to roll out Jan Aushadhi stores across the state, not just in all government hospitals, but also at all civic hospitals after consultation with civic bodies.
The move is expected to make drugs affordable to a vast majority of patients. The state currently has 82 functional Jan Aushadhi stores that provide medicines that are anywhere from one-fifth to one-tenth the price of branded drugs. There are only three such stores in Mumbai -- at Malad, Borivali and Ghatkopar.
"I have recently held a high-level meeting regarding this and the issue is under consideration. To open the stores at the civic hospitals, we will have to take the civic bodies into confidence," said Dr Vijay Satbir Singh, additional chief secretary (health), Maharashtra. "This will provide a very good alternative to patients who cannot buy these drugs," he added.
The government of India had earlier announced the plans to open 3,000 new Jan Aushadhi stories across the country of, which 1200 are functional so far.
At Mumbai's first Jan Aushadhi store in Ghatkopar, patients walk in from places as far as Colaba and Dadar to buy the cheap medicines. "There is a need for more awareness as a lot of the patients are those who are literate, but it is the poor patients who it can make the most difference to," said Manjiri Toraskar, co-owner of the store that has been operational for a year-and-a-half now.
"I come from Powai to buy medicines for diabetes once a month," said Hifzur Rahman, 50 who said he first heard about the store from another patient. One strip of his generic medicine pioglitazone costs Rs 12 at the Jan Aushadhi store as opposed to Rs 45 per strip for the cheapest available branded version of the medicine.
Jan Aushadhi stores were introduced to make generic drugs available at cheaper costs to the masses.
"Doctors are required to prescribe generic medicines but the implementation of the rule is weak. Action can be taken against the doctors if violations are reported to the MCI," Singh said.
While the Jan Aushadhi stores are supplied generic drugs by the Bureau of Pharma Public Sector Undertakings, there are also a series of Amrit stores run in association with the HLL Life Care Limited where branded drugs are stocked for anywhere between 25 per cent to 75 per cent less than the market price.
Currently, Mumbai has three Jan Aushadhi stores but drugs being out of stock is a common complaint. "Since the demand is high that is likely to happen but we will make sure that there is no compromise on quality," Dr Singh said. "We are serious about expanding both the Jan Aushashi and the Amrit outlets.
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