Notwithstanding the sluggish progress it could make so far during the last three years in expanding the network of ambitious Jan Aushadhi scheme, the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has finalised a new plan to rejuvenate it and seeking Rs.90 crore from the Planning Commission.

The Department also has asked the central public sector undertakings which supply medicines to the Jan Aushadhi generic stores to increase the list of drugs for supply. Besides, another suggestion is to go for production privately under loan license system within one year, if the PSUs cannot do on its own, sources said.

“Jan Aushadhi Stores seal nearly 315 drugs which are in much demand and which come under the National List of Essential Medicines. The new plan, which basically seek to open upto 3000 stores taking the network upto the sub-divisional levels in the next few years, is in the final stage and the estimated budget is Rs.90 crore and this estimate would be presented to Planning Commission for approval,” according to a senior official.

“At present there are 102 JAS across the country. There is an urgent need to scale-up JAS and have at least one such store in each district preferably located in the district hospital. It is also important that doctors in the public health system prescribe generic medicines which are as safe and effective as its branded counterpart and also substantially cheaper,” sources said.

Department sources said it sent out letters, held meetings and made visits with the authorities of State governments for getting support in opening stores. Possibilities are being explored to open the Jan Aushadhi Stores in the villages also. The target of the DoP under the new scheme is to open upto 3000 stores taking the network upto the sub-divisional levels in the next few years.

After the scheme was launched in 2008 with the object of ensuring access to quality medicines at affordable prices for all, 102 stores have been opened in various parts of the country so far covering the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttrakhand, Odisha, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi and Chandigarh.

Another important point of the action plan is to launch a massive campaign through the media on the lines of the pulse immunisation programme to popularise the low cost drugs outlets. Seeking the support of the huge number of pharmacists available in the country is another step in the action plan, it is learnt.