“Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas” - Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP)

  Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi said,

“The poor must have access to affordable medicines; the poor must not lose their lives because of lack of medicines …That’s why Jan Aushadhi Kendras have been planned across the country”.

Ø  With a view to achieve the objective of making available quality generic medicines at affordable prices to all, ‘Jan Aushadhi Scheme’ was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India in November, 2008 across the country. The Scheme is being implemented through the Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI), under administrative control of Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India.

Ø  In September 2015, the ‘Jan Aushadhi Scheme’ was revamped as ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana’ (PMJAY). In November, 2016, to give further impetus to the scheme, it was again renamed as “Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana” (PMBJP). The Hon'ble Minister of Finance while presenting the Budget for the year 2016-17 in Parliament, made a special mention on PMJAY. The excerpt of the Budget Speech of Hon'ble Finance Minister is reproduced below:

“Making quality medicines available at affordable prices has been a key challenge. We will reinvigorate the supply of generic drugs. 3,000 Stores under Prime Minister’s Jan Aushadhi Yojana will be opened during 2017.”

Ø  Status of the Rollout: -

The year-wise status and present status of PMBJKs opened in the country is as under:

As on 31.03.14	As on 31.03.15	As on 31.03.16	As on 31.03.17	As on 30.04.2017
80	99	269	1080	1253

	Till 31st March, 2016	Till 30th April, 2017
No. of States/UTs covered	22	29
No. of Districts covered	149	419

Ø  Salient features of the scheme:

• Ensure access to quality medicines
• Extend coverage of quality generic medicines so as to reduce the out of pocket expenditure on medicines and thereby redefine the unit cost of treatment per person
• Create awareness about generic medicines through education and publicity so that quality is not synonymous with only high price
• A public programme involving Government, PSUs, Private Sector, NGO, Societies, Co-operative Bodies and other Institutions
• Create demand for generic medicines by improving access to better healthcare through low treatment cost and easy availability wherever needed in all therapeutic categories.

Ø  Quality assurance: To ensure high quality, medicines are procured from WHO Good manufacturing practice (GMP), Current Good Manufacturing Practice (USFDA) and CPSUs manufacturers for supplying to Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras. Each batch of drugs procured is tested random at BPPI’s empanelled National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited laboratories thereby ensuring quality, safety and efficacy of medicines and conformance with required standards.  Only after being certified by these laboratories, medicines are dispatched to C&F agents, Distributors and JAKs.

Ø  Likely Impact: PMBJP seeks to keep product price within 50% of branded product price to make it affordable for all, especially the poor. It has resulted in substantial amount of savings for the people.

Ø  Budget & Expenditure Status - Details of budget allocation and expenditure for PMBJP for financial years 2008-18 are as under:

Year	Amount Released (in Rs.)	Expenditure Reported as incurred (in Rs.)
2008-09	17250000/-	5505000/-
2009-10	20000000/-	10624000/-
2010-11	30000000/-	12039000/-
2011-12	NIL	10580000/-
2012-13	16600000/-	22482000/-
2013-14	152000000/-	14563000/-
2014-15	NIL	137612000/-
2015-16	169147000/-	135238000/-
2016-17	497500000/-	497500000/-
2017-18	NIL	-

Ø  Financial Support to the Applicants – following financial assistances are given to the applicants for opening of PMBJP Kendras:

(a) For opening PMBJP Kendras in Government Hospitals / Medical College premises, one-time financial assistance up to Rs. 2.50 lakh is provided as per the details given below:

(i) Rs. 1 lakh reimbursement of furniture and fixtures.

(ii) Rs. 1 lakh by way of free medicines in the beginning.

(iii) Rs. 0.50 lakh as reimbursement for computer, internet, printer, scanner, etc.

           

(b) For PMBJP Kendras run by private entrepreneurs / pharmacists / NGOs / Charitable organizations that are linked with BPPI headquarters through internet (using BPPI provided software) will get incentive up to Rs. 2.5 lakhs. This will be given @ 15% of monthly sales subject to a ceiling of Rs. 10,000/ per month up to a total limit of Rs. 2.5 lakhs.

                                                                           

(c) In north eastern states, naxal affected areas and tribal areas, the rate of incentive will be 15% and subject to monthly ceiling of Rs. 15,000/- up to a total limit of Rs. 2.5 lakhs.

(d)The applicants belonging to weaker sections like SC/ST/Differently abled are provided medicines worth Rs. 50,000/- in advance within the incentive of Rs. 2.5 lakhs which will be provided in the form of 15% of monthly sales subject to a ceiling of Rs. 10,000/- per month up to a total limit of Rs. 2.5 lakhs.

Ø  Potential for Job Creation: PMBJP gives self-employment and income opportunity. It will help unemployed pharmacist to start a business.

Ø  Progress made since the launch of scheme:

Parameter	2008-14	2014-17
Name of Scheme	Jan Aushadhi Yojana (JAY)	Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP)
Number of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendrasoperational as on 31stMarch	2008-09 - 7 2009-10 - 36 2010-11 - 43 2011-12 - 55 2012-13 – 98 2013-14 - 104	2014-15 - 99 2015-16 - 269 2016-17 - 1080 2017-18 -  1253 (Till 30th April, 2017)
Eligibility conditions of operating agencies	Kendras opened in Government hospitals only	Kendras may be opened outside the premises of hospitals also. Any NGO/ charitable society/ institution/ Self Help groups/ Unemployed pharmacists/ doctors/ registered medical practitioners were made eligible for applying for opening of drug store
Coverage of Scheme – Presence	16 states /UTs	29 states /UTs
Product basket	361 medicines	600 medicines and 154 surgical and consumables
Available medicines	90-100	561 medicines and 128 Surgical
Coverage of Therapeutic Groups	Product basket was incomplete	Product basket covers all 23 major therapeutic categories such as Anti-infective, Anti-diabetics, Cardiovascular, Anti-cancers, Gastro-intestinal medicines etc.
Supplier	PSU’s for 138 medicines	PSU’s + 125 Private suppliers
Supply Chain Management	Non existent	IT enabled supply chain system Professional agency to manage Central Warehouse. 8 C&F and 43 Distributors as on date
Trade Margin for Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras	16%	20%
Trade Margin for Distributors	8%	10%
Incentive to Private PMBJP Kendras	Rs.1.5 Lakhs	Rs. 2.5 Lakhs
Grant–in–aid to Government PMBJP Kendras	To PMBJP Kendras opened inside Government Hospitals	Has been extended to PMBJP Kendra opened by State government or Government agencies in any government buildings owned by government bodies like Railways/ State Transport Department/ Urban local bodies/ Panchayati Raj Institutions/ Post Offices/ Defence/PSU’s etc.
Assistance to SC/ST/Differently-abled persons	NA	The Applicants belonging to weaker sections like SC/ST/Differently-abled may be provided medicines worth Rs. 50,000/- in advance within the incentive of Rs.2.5 lakhs which will be provided in the form of 15% of monthly sales subject to a ceiling of Rs. 10,000/- per month up to a total limit of Rs.2.5 lakh

Ø  Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) functional across States:

S.No.	State/UT	Functional PMBJKs till 30th April, 2017
1	Andhra Pradesh	65
2	Assam	19
3	Arunachal Pradesh	20
4	Bihar	11
5	Chandigarh	4
6	Chhattisgarh	149
7	Dadar & Nagar Haveli	5
8	Delhi	18
9	Gujarat	119
10	Haryana	23
11	Himachal Pradesh	17
12	J & K	18
13	Jharkhand	24
14	Karnataka	38
15	Kerala	193
16	Madhya Pradesh	37
17	Maharashtra	84
18	Manipur	5
19	Mizoram	3
20	Nagaland	11
21	Odisha	31
22	Punjab	31
23	Rajasthan	40
24	Tamil Nadu	53
25	Telangana	22
26	Tripura	8
27	UP	169
28	Uttarakhand	30
29	West Bengal	6
Total		1253