Karnataka government is all set to spur the drug distribution space in the state with the setting up of Janasanjeevani stores in each of its 30 districts. The government in May this year had inked a pact with Hindustan Lifecare Limited (HLL) to source the drugs for these outlets. Two of these stores are scheduled for being set up at the government medical facilities namely KC General Hospital and Victoria Hospital, Bengaluru within the next two weeks.

The drugs sold at these outlets will be priced at an affordable rates for the benefit of patients in the below-the- poverty line category.

In a move to ensure easy access to the medicines of the shelves, a software to quickly identify generic names when brand names are keyed in will be installed at all the outlets, Karnataka health and family welfare minister UT Khader said.

The Union government Jan Aushadhi stores which was expected to sell 748 generic drugs has not taken off as expected. In fact the Union government had communicated to the state government for space to set up these Jan Aushadhi stores. However, Karnataka is now keen to ensure that it maximises this opportunity with its Janasanjeevani outlets, he added

The concept of generic drug stores is familiar to the Karnataka government healthcare sector. In 2012, the state government had teamed up with State Cooperative Consumer Federation to set up 20 Janatha Bazar generic drug stores to make available affordable drugs to the poor patients in the state. Four pharma companies-- Cipla, Torrent, Sun Pharma and Intas consented to supply generic medicines at subsidized costs to these stores.

“Although the government earlier had forayed into this area, we view that new model has been designed keeping in mind the shortcomings of the previous model,” he said.

In case patients are uncertain about the quality of drugs, they could get the same tested at any of the three drug test labs at Bengaluru, Hubbali and Bellari through the state drugs control department. “Only drugs manufactured by well-known multinational companies would be sold here along with other leading Indian pharma enterprises to ensure quality standards of the medicines,” he said.