Pradhan Mantari Jan Aushadi Kendra − Demonetarization of Medicine Prices in India

Abstract

Demonetarization of currency notes of five hundred rupees and thousand rupees denominations is hailed because of surgical strike against black money, terrorist funding and also corruption. On the comparative lines the Government of India has introduced Jan Aushadhi scheme to give jolt to the uncontrolled medicine prices across all therapeutic category of medicines in India. Although brand medicines in India appear cheap when compared with international prices, however the brand medicines in India are expensive in comparison with generic medicines. The brand medicines despite being expensive are preferred over generic medicines by the prescribers due to exhaustive marketing practices by the manufactures. Although generic medicines are available at affordable prices they are not preferred over brand medicines. The price sensitivity for medicine appears to be very low. Generic medicines are less popular for various reasons, primarily due to marketing techniques of luring the prescribers brand medicines. The medicine prices are bound to get down to the ground levels when enactment of Jan Aushadhi Act is implemented in true spirit with a strong political will.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices toward Jan Aushadhi scheme

“…However, it has largely failed to make impact on economic pressure on health care as most of the branded medicines are manufactured by multinational companies and large Indian companies and are strongly supported by the prescribing physicians. [3][4][5] To overcome this problem inflicting immense economic impact on poor population, the Indian Government had launched the Jan Aushadhi campaign in April 2008 by opening government -controlled centers in various states to provide quality generic medicines at lower prices to their counterpart branded ones to make them easily affordable to a common man. [6] Currently, our country has more than 850 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra's functional spreading over 28 states/union territories.…”

A Cost Variation Analysis Study of Drugs Used in the Management of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Available in the Indian Market

“…In 2018, the Government of India had introduced a National Health Protection Scheme-Ayushman Bharat with a goal of reaching approximately 50 crore beneficiaries along with providing coverage up to 5 lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization [17]. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra a good initiate by the Government of India in 2018, with the aim of supplying generic drugs to the patients, quality control of drugs and also for regularization of drug prices in India [18]. The new Competency-based Medical Education-pharmacology curriculum introduced by the Medical Council of India in 2018 has also introduced prescription auditing (PH 3.2) as one of the competencies to be taught to medical students [19].…”