The low-cost dilemma

For eight months, Joydeb Sarda has been saving ₹500-600 a month on his medical bills. The 48-year-old garment dealer from Hotor, in South 24 Parganas and 67 km from Kolkata, has been buying generic medicines from the local Jan Aushadhi store.

“My mother suffers from diabetes, hypertension and arthritis. I used to spend nearly ₹1,200 on medicines every month. Now I spend around ₹700-800,” says Sardar.

Despite the savings — generic medicines are available at nearly half the price of their branded counterparts — Sardar is among the few who walk into the Jan Aushadhi shop. The store in Hotor, which opened in January this year, is yet to find traction.

According to Ananya Sarkar, owner of the store, lack of awareness among people about generic medicines, and doctors’ penchant for prescribing only branded medicines, are dampening demand.

His clientèle has increased, but only just; from about 10 regular customers a month in January, now he gets up to 60.

There is apprehension regarding the efficacy of the medicines sold at the Jan Aushadhi outlet. Saiba Das, a 29-year-old home-maker stays opposite the generic medicine store, but doesn't buy medicine from there; not even for common cough and cold.

“We are not sure of the quality of drugs sold at these shops and we do not want to take any chance when it comes to health. I can never think of buying medicine for my son from such shops,” says Das, who has a four-year-old son.

Sarkar admits it's difficult to change this perception. “It is all in the mind. If they psychologically feel it will not work then no matter how effective, the medicine will not work,” he says.

S K Saha, who has received licence to open a Jan Aushadhi store on Srinagar Main Road, near New Garia Metro Station in Kolkata, agrees people are apprehensive about the quality of drugs sold at the Jan Aushadhi outlets. “It might take six to eight months for things to stabilise; once people are sensitised we expect sales to grow,” he said.

However, 33-year-old Tamal Mallick, who owns a cosmetics shop near the proposed Jan Aushadhi store, is not too sure. “ Ekhane sobar modhe ekta bhoy ache…..eto kom daamer oshud kaaj debe ki? (people are worried…..will medicines sold at such low prices have any effect?)," Mallick asks.

Though Sardar is happy with his monthly savings, very often he doesn't get one or two medicines at the outlet and has to either wait or go for the branded alternative. There are delays in getting supply too. “If we order for 60 variants of medicines; only around 40 variants are delivered; the rest are invariably not in stock,” says Sardar.

There are currently two distributors in West Bengal — in Barasat, North 24 Parganas and in Siliguri, North Bengal. Manik Lal Saha, the distributor in Barasat, says that the sudden spurt in Jan Aushadhi outlets across the country might have impacted the supply chain. “The supply chain needs to gear up. Currently it takes about 15-20 days time for the order to get delivered. Moreover, if someone places order for ₹40-lakh worth stocks, not even half is delivered. This is despite the fact that the medicines are shown as available on the website,” says Saha. A SAP-based software system is being put in place to ensure speed in delivery, he added. .

It doesn't help the scheme that West Bengal has 116 fair price medicine shops, which provide generic, semi-generic and branded drugs at a discount ranging from 48 to 77 per cent.

According to the website of Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana, 29 licenses have been issued in West Bengal to open stores.

Apart from the fair price shops, says BR Sathpathy, Director, Directorate of Health Services, the State also offers free treatment in government hospitals. “This is the reason why there has been a lukewarm response for setting up of Jan Aushadhi stores in the State,” he said. The State government also undertakes routine quality check to ensure the quality of medicines available at the fair price medicine shops.