The branded medicines are sold at significantly higher prices than their unbranded generic equivalents, though are identical in therapeutic value. Given the widespread poverty across the country, making available reasonably priced quality generic medicines in the market would benefit everyone. With this objective, the Pharma Advisory Forum in its meeting held on 23rd April, 2008, decided to launch the Jan Aushadhi Campaign – starting with the sale of generic medicines through dedicated sales outlets called Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra in various districts of the country.
PMBJP
Mission:
- Create awareness among the public regarding generic medicines
- Create demand for generic medicines through medical practitioners
- Create awareness through education and awareness programs that high price need not be synonymous with high quality
- Provide all the commonly used generic medicines covering all the therapeutic groups
- Provide all the related health care products too under the scheme
Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI), the implementation agency for Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra was established in December, 2008 under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India, with the support of all the CPSUs and has been registered as an independent society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 as a separate independent legal entity in April, 2010.
The defined roles of BPPI are as follows:
- Make quality generic medicines available at affordable prices for all
- Marketing of generic drugs through the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra (PMBJK)
- Procurement of medicines from Central pharma PSUs and private sectors
- Monitoring proper running of PMBJK
