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Kerala, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh have reported almost 50 per cent of the total sales of Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs), under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), the flagship scheme of the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), during the five fiscal years from FY 2020 to FY 2024.
According to the data from the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers, the total sales of JAKs across the States and Union Territories (UTs) during the five fiscal years was a total of Rs. 4,316.31 crore, at maximum retail price (MRP). Out of this, around Rs. 2,142.12 crore was from three states - Kerala, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
Kerala reported sales of Rs. 796.19 crore during the five years from 2019-20 to 2023-24, while Karnataka registered Rs. 714.72 crore sales and Uttar Pradesh reported Rs. 631.21 crore during the same period.
These three states also have seen the highest number of JAKs established till the end of November, 2024. Uttar Pradesh has established 2,533 units till the end of November, while Kerala has established 1,458 Kendras, Karnataka set up 1,373 Kendras, followed by Tamil Nadu with 1,300 Kendras, Bihar with 747 Kendras, Gujarat with 726 Kendras, Maharashtra with 702 Kendras, and Odisha with 644 Kendras.
The sales, on MRP, during the five fiscal years in the Kendras in Tamil Nadu, despite doubling of growth from the fiscal year 2019-20, was Rs. 379.21 crore.
West Bengal has seen the sales growing at a high pace from Rs. 12 crore at MRP in the fiscal 2019-20, to Rs. 106.88 crore in 2023-24. West Bengal is the fifth largest in terms of sales during the five years, at Rs. 263.91 crore, followed by Bihar at Rs. 229.36 crore, Pubjab at Rs. 195.13 crore, Odisha at Rs. 190.29 crore, and Delhi at Rs. 147.05 crore.
Union minister of state in the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers Anupriya Patel has informed the Lok Sabha in the recent Parliament session, said that under PMBJP, 2,047 types of medicines and 300 surgicals/devices have been brought under the product basket covering all major therapeutic groups such as cardiovascular, anti-cancers, anti-diabetics, anti-infectives, anti-allergic, gastro-intestinal medicines, nutraceuticals, etc.
"New medicines are added to the product basket of PMBJP regularly," she added.
The government launched PMBJP with an objective of making quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all. A total of 14,320 JAKs have been opened across the country till November 30, 2024, she said. The Central government is actively pursuing a target of 25,000 Kendras by 2026.
In October, 2024, the Ministry said that under PMBJP, in the last 10 years, sale of medicines worth Rs. 6,100 crore have been done through Kendras, which has led to estimated savings of Rs. 30,000 crore for the citizens as compared to the branded medicines.
Under the scheme, a medicine is priced on the principle of a maximum of 50% of the average price of the top three branded medicines. The price of Jan Aushadhi Medicines, surgical devices and nutraceutical products are cheaper at least by 50% and in some cases, by 80% to 90% of the market price of branded medicines available in the market.
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