The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) hopes to infuse fresh blood into the sluggish Jan Aushadhi campaign by revising the business plan to enable the pharmacists also to run the generic outlets that seek to make drugs affordable to the common man.

As per the new business plan, pharmacist, trust or society can run the generic outlet and the process for identification of operating agencies has been simplified. As per the old pattern, individual pharmacists were not allowed to operate the outlet.

Another change in the guidelines is that the stores would now be opened even outside the hospital premises. Basket of drugs will also be widened to 361 drugs covering all therapeutic categories.

“This will give chance to unemployed pharmacists to set up generic outlet and is expected to give a big boost to the campaign. Besides, the process of selection has also been simplified,” sources said.

Since the launch of the ambitious campaign in 2008, 157 Jan Aushadhi stores have been opened, with Rajasthan leading the tally. However, only 93 of them are currently functional, according to official sources.

The government has already put the new business plan by inviting expression of interest from the aspiring persons/agencies to open Jan Aushadhi stores in Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. In Odisha, there are already 14 outlets while UP is yet to have its first store.

“The operating entity will get a minimum of 16 per cent margin on MRP on scheduled products and 20 per cent margins on non-scheduled products as per government regulations. This will change as per changes made by government in future from time to time,” said the notification for EOI.

Though still running behind the schedule, the DoP’s ambitious target is to set up  3150 Jan Aushadhi stores by the end of the current Five Year Plan. However, the apathy on the part of the state governments has failed the campaign.

Sources said the Bureau of Pharma Public Sector Undertakings of India (BPPI), which is spearheading the campaign, has been regularly writing to all the state governments, where the Jan Aushadhi campaign is yet to make inroads.