India Expands Jan Aushadhi Kendras Nationwide
As part of the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana initiative, India has successfully established 15,057 Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) across the country, with plans to continue this expansion until February 28, 2025. The initiative aims to enhance access to affordable medicines, ensuring that essential drugs are readily available to the public. The Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Smt. Anupriya Patel, provided this update in a recent Rajya Sabha session.
Robust Supply Chain Ensures Medicine Availability
The availability of medicines at Jan Aushadhi Kendras is supported by a comprehensive IT-enabled supply chain system. This system includes a central warehouse located in Gurugram, along with four regional warehouses in Bengaluru, Guwahati, Chennai, and Surat. To further strengthen this supply chain, 36 distributors have been appointed nationwide. The system is designed to monitor the availability of 400 fast-moving products regularly, ensuring that these essential medicines are consistently stocked at JAKs. To enhance efficiency, a minimum stocking mandate has been implemented for 200 key medicines, which includes the top 100 selling medicines from the scheme’s product basket and an additional 100 fast-selling medicines in the market. JAK owners can claim incentives based on their maintained stocks of these medicines, encouraging them to keep popular products readily available. This entrepreneurial model allows JAK operators to stock medicines based on local demand, ensuring that the needs of the community are met effectively.
Quality Assurance Measures in Place
To address concerns regarding the quality of medicines sold at Jan Aushadhi Kendras, the government has instituted stringent quality assurance measures. All medicines are procured exclusively from suppliers who are certified under the World Health Organization’s Good Manufacturing Practices (WHO-GMP). This ensures that only high-quality products are available to consumers. Additionally, each batch of drugs supplied under the scheme undergoes rigorous testing at laboratories accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). Only after passing these quality tests are the medicines dispatched to the JAKs. Furthermore, routine quality audits of vendor facilities are conducted by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India, ensuring ongoing compliance with quality standards.
Future Expansion and Commitment to Accessibility
The establishment of Jan Aushadhi Kendras is a significant step towards improving healthcare accessibility in India. The initiative not only aims to provide affordable medicines but also strives to ensure that these medicines meet high-quality standards. With the ongoing expansion of JAKs and the implementation of robust supply chain and quality assurance measures, the government is committed to making essential healthcare more accessible to all citizens. This information was shared by Union Minister Smt. Anupriya Patel in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, highlighting the government’s dedication to enhancing public health through the Jan Aushadhi scheme.
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