Central Government to Set Up 1,000 Janaushadhi Kendras In India

H.N. Ananth Kumar said the number of Janaushadhi Kendras has increased to 750 stores, thereby clocking a seven-fold jump in the last two-and-half years.

The central government said it aims to set up 1,000 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK) in both urban and rural areas as part of its "Mission 3000" Kendras. The central government aims to open 3,000 PMBJKs by March 2017.

According to Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the 'Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India' (BPPI) and 'National Yuva Cooperative Society' (NYCS) towards the initiative.

Changing Prescription Settings in EMRs Increased Rates of Generic Drugs
A simple change to prescription default options in electronic medical records immediately increased generic prescribing rates from 75 percent to 98 percent.

‘Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK) is an initiative of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers with a mission to make quality medicines accessible to all citizens of the country at affordable prices.’

Minister for Chemicals, Fertilisers and Parliamentary Affairs H.N. Ananth Kumar said the number of Janaushadhi Kendras has increased to 750 stores, thereby clocking a seven-fold jump in the last two-and-half years.

"Around 20,000 applications have already been received and over 5,000 have been accorded in-principle approval for setting up of Janaushadhi Kendras in the country," the minister was quoted as saying in a statement.

"Government envisions to establish Janaushadhi kendras in every block and gram panchayat across the country." The minister elaborated that the government is trying to promote the indigenous generic drug industry and make it globally competitive.

Dialysis Centers and Generic Drug Stores to Come Up: Finance Minister
National Dialysis Program will be launched to address the high costs involved in the dialysis processes. Every district hospital will be provided the facilities of renal dialysis.

Currently, the central government is providing financial support of up to Rs 2.5 lakh in the form of assistance to the kendras which are set up in state-run hospitals and incentives to individuals, with special and softer terms to SC, ST and differently-abled persons.

PMBJK is an initiative of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers with a mission to make quality medicines accessible to all citizens of the country at affordable prices.

Suppression of Generic Drugs Becoming A Health Threat in the United States
The market price of pharmaceuticals is costing patients more than $100,000 per year, leading to an increase in public health spending.

The BPPI is the nodal implementation agency for the PMBJK Scheme.

Source-IANS

Indian Drug Industry Claims US-Led Trade Deal Will Raise Generic Drugs Price
The US-led deal will delay the arrival of new cheap drugs and increase the prices of medicines around the world in the long run.