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At least 10,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are expected to be operational in the country by December.
Having started in 2008 as a modest initiative to supply less expensive, generic drugs to consumers, the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras now number 9,750-plus countrywide and offer a larger basket of medicines and surgical products. Owners of these outlets in different parts of the country told businessline that they were seeing an increase in customers. However, they added, they still had to fight the perception that less expensive generic drugs are of low quality, besides tackling supply-chain challenges.
Generic drugs are chemically similar to an original drug, and often much less expensive. They are currently in the spotlight following a directive requiring doctors to prescribe medicines only by their generic names, rather than brand names.
The JA Kendra initiative, implemented by the Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India, covers about 1,800 generic medicines and 285 surgical products; another 200-odd medicines are to be included by the year end, says a person familiar with the scheme. The generic products are sold at 50-90 per cent of the price of a similar branded product, say Government representatives. And the product range spans from paracetamols to diabetes drugs and diapers to glucometers.
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There has been an increase in off-take for “simpler medicines” like paracetamols or pain-relief gels, due to the price difference between generic medicines and brands, store owners say. They add that complex formulations or combination drugs are seeing “better than earlier demand”. Medicines to treat fever and pain; anti-inflammatory drugs, diclofenac, and so onare also popular buys at the kendras, says an owner.
Brand power
The problem is that when prescriptions mention brands, it becomes difficult to convince people that the generic versions are the same medicine. For example, a person with a prescription for ‘Dolo 650’ will accept only that, and an alternative 650 mg paracetamol will not be accepted, says a Delhi-based JA Kendra owner.
Dr Gopal Dabade, a health activist and founder of non-governmental organisation Jagruti, runs a JA Kendra in Dharwad (Karnataka) with a pharmacist and an assistant.
Patients buy generic diabetes or thyroid medicines and manage their ailments with constant monitoring, he says. The problem is with supplies, and it becomes difficult to convince a patient on a long-term medicine to take an alternative, he says. Having run the centre for five years, he says the challenge is in convincing patients that generics are effective and safe, as also in hiring pharmacists for centres in rural areas. The country needs way more than 10,000 centres, he says.
Getting combination medicines is difficult, too, says a Kolkata-based customer, who finds the JA Kendras unhelpful when it comes to supply of “high-end medicines”.
Quality checks
Responding to quality concerns, a person familiar with the JA Kendra initiative said the medicines are sourced through open tenders, depending on requirements, and checked by accredited labs; supplies too are randomly checked. Centres are blacklisted if there are malpractices, the person added.
With a Rs 1,236 crore turnover (March 2023), the initiative is set to see 2,000 more outlets opened at Primary Agricultural Credit Societies by the year-end. And the Prime Minister set a target of 25,000 centres across the country.
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