Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that as on January 31, the number of stores selling cheap generic medicines— Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBKs)— have increased to 9,082.
Dr. Mandaviya said this during a press briefing as the Department of Pharmaceuticals will be marking eight years of completion of the scheme. “The government has set a target to increase the number of Jan Aushadhi kendras to 10,000 by December 2023,” he said.
Medicines available under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana are priced 50% to 90% lesser than their branded variants.
During FY2021-22, PMBJP achieved sales of ₹893.56 crore, which estimatedly led to savings of ₹5,360 crore for the patients, Dr. Mandaviya said. In FY2022-23 uptil February 15, the Pharmacruticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), which administers the scheme, made sales of over ₹1,000 crore.
The product basket of PMBJP comprises 1,759 drugs and 280 surgical instruments. Over-the-counter products like protein powders, malt-based food supplements, protein bars, glucometers and oximeters have been added to the mix, to make the business more lucrative for entrepreneurs.
The scheme has four IT-enabled warehouses in Gurugram, Chennai, Guwahati and Surat along with 36 distributors which have been appointed to support the supply of medicines to remote and rural areas.
“The government has set a target to increase the number of Jan Aushadhi kendras to 10,000 by December 2023”Mansukh MandaviyaUnion Health Minister
