Wide availability of generic medicines, change in the consumer attitude, steep discounts and heavy advertising by the government are giving a big push to the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP). As per department of pharmaceuticals (DoP), the key metrics of the scheme have shown major improvement over the past two years.
For instance, the number of stores (also called Janaushadhi Kendras or JAK) have jumped 34% between April 2022 and April 2024 to 11,719. Monthly sales have more than doubled in April 2024 as compared to the corresponding month in 2022 while the product basket, including drugs and surgical items, too have registered sharp increase.
Experts said that there’s a major shift in the attitude of consumers towards PMBJP stores which is driving this growth. “Some 5 years back, people were reluctant to visit these stores due to the perceptional issues. Today, the mindset has changed because consumers have realised that the efficacy of medicines sold at the PMBJP stores are as good as branded generics,” said Hari Natarajan, founder & MD, Pronto Consult.
“PMBJP stores have become primary choice for cost-conscious consumers, especially for acute treatments such as painkillers, paracetamol, and cough syrups. In tier-I and II cities, there are multiple stores in each locality. With the rising consumer awareness and wide reach, the scheme is giving a tough competition to pharmacy chains,” said a healthcare expert.
Due to the growing demand, the government has set a target to open 25,000 JAKs across the country by March 2026. Typically, the prices of medicines are 50-90% lower than the branded generics, and the government claims that the consumers have saved over Rs 28,000 crore in the past 9 years in comparison to the branded medicines.
Launched in 2008, the product basket of PMBJP includes 2047 medicines and 300 surgicals/ consumables covering major therapeutic groups such as cardiovascular, anti-cancers, anit-diabetics, anti-infectives, anti-allergic, and gastrointestinal medicines.
