Providing generic medicines to the poor in India: Anoverall assessment of government run Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) with reference to experience of store owners in the city of Jaipur

Pages: 775-778
Manoj Pareek (Manipal Academy of Higher Education, (Formerly Manipal University), Research Scholar, Tumkur University, Tumkur, Karnataka)
M. Prakash (Department of Commerce and Management, Bangalore, Karnataka)

Out of Pocket expenditure on medicines constitutes more than 50% of healthcare expenditure in India. The poor are most affected as branded medicines are expensive and treatments involving use of such medicines pushes them further into poverty. To address this issue government central government started Jan Aushadhi (Medicine for the masses) programme in 2008 with the objective of providing quality medicines at affordable prices. The programme envisaged sale of generic medicines through stores to be called “Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi Kendras” in various districts of the country. This paper seeks to examine and assess the successes and failures of the government initiatives so far, impact on the beneficiaries, challenges in execution and the way ahead.