-Hindustan Times The government is set to re-launch its pharmacy chain, Jan Aushadhi, to sell generic drugs ranging from anti-biotics, anti-cardiac, anti-infective and gastro intestinal drugs at prices at least half of branded drugs. The project would be launched in six states on a pilot basis from June 21, where 5,000 stores would be opened across the country in a phased manner. The scheme failed in 2008 due to poor supply-chain management. “Now, we...
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TB, diabetes drug prices to fall by 30% -Sushmi Dey
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The drug price regulator has capped prices of 30 medicines including antibiotics and those used in treatment of diabetes, tuberculosis and malaria. The move is expected to bring down prices of most of these medicines by 25-30%. However, in some cases the reduction could be by as much as 50%. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), which has the mandate to regulate prices of essential medicines,...
More »Jan Aushadhi: in need of a right prescription -PT Jyothi Datta
-The Hindu Business Line Generic prescription patterns, supply-chain management must for low-cost drug availability An earnest-sounding voice answers the Jan Aushadhi hotline number and assures the person calling that more stores are being planned by the Government in districts across the country. That response was to the caller’s query if there was a Jan Aushadhi (JA) store in Mumbai. As it happens, there is one in Maharashtra, but in Pune! It’s been over...
More »Free drugs plan gets a quiet burial -Rema Nagarajan
-The Times of India It was in 2012 that the Centre first promised to provide free drugs in public health facilities. The first budgetary provision was made in 2013. Last year, the promise was crystallized to providing 348 essential drugs free. This was later whittled down to just 50 drugs. And now, the entire idea of a central scheme for free drug distribution has been given a quiet burial. Joint secretary (policy)...
More »Driven to distress -R Krishnakumar
-Frontline Kerala is facing a situation where health care costs are leading more and more people, not just low-income families, to financial distress. KERALA is once again drawing attention to itself, this time for a persistent trend of a large number of households being pushed into financial ruin because of the expenses incurred for medical care. Several studies have now found evidence for the many facets of this worrying development in a...
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