The efforts by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) to promote unbranded generic drugs through Jan Aushadhi stores got a fillip with the Rajasthan government issuing guidelines to the doctors in the government hospitals to prescribe generic drugs. Some more states are expected to follow suit.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, meanwhile, suggested that it should be made mandatory for the State governments to open the Jan Aushadhi outlets in all government hospitals to ensure this price benefit to the wider sections of the people.

Besides expanding the network of Jan Aushadhi stores in different States, the DoP has been trying to persuade the State authorities to promote unbranded generic drugs through prescriptions. Rajasthan became the first state in this direction by issuing guidelines to the doctors in the State-run hospitals and it is expected to add to generic prescriptions in the country, sources said.

“Chief secretaries of all States have been requested to encourage opening of Jan Aushadhi outlets in the district hospitals in their States. There has been encouraging response from some of the States like Rajasthan and Punjab. Some more State Governments like Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi have now shown interest in the scheme. Meetings have been held by secretary and joint secretary in the department with chief ministers of states like Assam, Delhi, and Himachal Pradesh. The minister of state has presently written letters to a number of chief ministers and spoken personally to them in this regard,” sources said.

The Department is also prodding the State health authorities to issue guidelines on the lines of Rajasthan government with a view to promote generic prescriptions. Some more States are expected to follow the suit, sources said. As many as 44 outlets have been opened so far.

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on health while lauding the initiative suggested opening of generic outlets even in villages. “Considering the peculiar price advantage of medicines available through JAS, the Committee desire that the Government should take necessary steps for making mandatory the opening of Jan Aushadhi Stores in all government hospitals.”

The panel also wanted the Centre to encourage the participation of all States in the scheme and persuade them to allot specific space for opening the stores. “The Committee also desire that the Department should conduct feasibility study for opening of Jan Aushadhi Stores in villages as well to achieve the objective of providing quality generic drugs at affordable prices to the common people. They also recommend that more drugs be brought under generic medicines so that the benefit of the cheap medicines is percolated to the public at large. At the same time, the Committee would also caution that the quality of medicines should not be compromised,” the latest report from the panel said.