Though still running behind the schedule and without any fresh allocation as expected, the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) is aiming to have 3150 Jan Aushadhi stores by the end of the current Five Year Plan in a bid to promote the generic drugs.

Only 147 stores could be opened so far although the revised plan was to have at least 612 generic outlets by March this year. The campaign failed to pick up momentum largely because of the lacklustre attitude by different State Governments, sources said.

As part of the campaign, it is intended to open at least one Jan Aushadhi Store in every district of the country to begin with, followed by at least five stores in each district so as to have 3150 stores by the end of the 12th plan. This was planned on the basis of  support from state governments in allotting the space in the Government Hospitals or at any other suitable locations and also with the help of  agencies amongst hospitals/ NGOs/ charitable/ co-operative/ government bodies to manage such stores. The DoP is now also focusing remote areas like North Eastern States, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

So far, 147 Jan Aushadhi Stores have been opened upto February, spread over the twelve States, namely, Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttrakhand, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, including UT of Chandigarh, the DoP said.

“Efforts are on to open more stores in the country with the collaboration of State Governments. However, much depends upon the prevailing health policy or the health programme being followed by the respective State Governments, in order to determine the feasibility and the viability for opening/ managing such stores and also the extent of support and cooperation the State Governments provide in allotting the space in more number of places including identification of the agency to manage such stores, besides ensuring the cooperation of the Government doctors in prescribing generic medicines,” sources said.

“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,” DoP sources added.

Even among the stores, many have been closed and some States have opted for other alternative models. In Andhra Pradesh and Punjab, two stores each are non-functional due to administrative reasons. In Haryana, three stores are not functioning on the same grounds.

In Rajasthan, as per the latest Health Policy of the Government of Rajasthan, free medicines are being given to all the in-patients as well as out-patients visiting the State Government Hospitals for treatment. Accordingly, the State Government has since converted all the existing 53 JASs into free distribution centres of medicine. The matter regarding functioning of JASs in the State has been taken up with the MD, Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation, Government of Rajasthan.

In West Bengal, the State Government has directed the operating agencies to close the Jan Aushadhi sales from there as they are contemplating to run fair price stores for sale of medicines from such outlets, sources pointed out.