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 The Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) under the flagship scheme of the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP)’s Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), has reported a 36.7 per cent increase in sales of medicines and related products during the month of May, 2024 as compared to a year ago.
According to data from the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), the JAKs in the country has reported a total sales at Maximum Retail Price Value of Rs. 161.91 crore in the month of May, 2024, as compared to Rs. 118.43 crore during the same month of previous year.
Compared to Rs. 138.46 crore sales reported in the subsequent month of May, 2024, the sales reported a growth of almost 17 per cent.
The savings to the common man from purchasing medicines from JAKs has grown around 14 per cent to Rs. 809.55 crore in May, 2024, as compared to Rs. 710.58 crore a year ago, based on the growth in sales. The growth in the number of JAKs over the period aided the increase in sales and savings to the common man.
Savings for the month of May, compared to the savings of Rs. 692.30 crore in April, 2024, reported a growth of around 17 per cent.
The Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), the implementing agency of PMBJP, has set up 395 new JAKs during the month, and the total number of Kendras at the end of May has gone up to 12,114 outlets. The total number of outlets during the same month a year ago was 9,484 Kendras.
The product basket under the PMBJP has also seen an increase from 1,800 medicines and 285 surgical products in May, 2023 to 2,047 medicines and 300 surgical products last month. The expansion of product basket is also ahead of the schedule, since the plans were to enhance the product basket of PMBJP upto 2,000 medicines and 300 surgicals by March, 2025.
The Bureau earlier announced that it has opened more than 10,000 JAKs across the country towards the end of the year 2023, offering over 1,963 generic medicines and 293 surgical equipment and consumables with prices almost 50-90 per cent less than that of branded medicines available in the open market. This was ahead of the target, as the plans were to open 10,000 JAKs by March, 2024.
The Central government also announced in 2023 its plans to increase the number of JAKs in the country from 10,000 to 25,000 by March 31, 2026.
In the financial year 2022-23, PMBJP has made sales of Rs. 1,235.95 crore (at MRP), with a growth of 38.3 per cent compared to Rs. 893.56 crore sales during the financial year 2021-22.
The PMBJP was launched by the Ministry in November, 2008 with an objective of making quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all.
The steps taken for increasing viability of Kendras include continuous expansion of product basket to provide a complete range of medicines for increasing footfall to the Kendras, covering almost all chronic and acute disease conditions, said PMBJP earlier.
State health departments and associated government authorities have been requested to open Jan Aushadhi Stores in various government hospitals by providing rent free spaces to private individuals. The PMBI also tied up with various organisations including the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) to expand its reach.
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