Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana

The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) aims to make quality medicines available at affordable prices, especially to poor and disadvantaged people. It promotes access to generic medicines through dedicated outlets so that patients can obtain treatment at a lower cost without compromising medicine quality.

Objective: reducing the cost of treatment

The central objective is to reduce the financial burden of buying medicines. Affordable medicines can help patients begin treatment and continue taking prescribed medicines, particularly when treatment requires repeated purchases.

• The scheme seeks to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure on medicines, meaning the money patients and households pay directly.
• It aims to make quality generic medicines accessible to all, with particular attention to poorer and disadvantaged sections.
• It also seeks to counter the perception that a medicine must be expensive to be effective.

How the scheme improves affordability

Medicines are supplied through Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras, which are dedicated retail outlets. Generic medicines contain the same active pharmaceutical ingredient as the corresponding branded medicine; a lower selling price does not by itself mean lower quality.

• The scheme uses competitive procurement to obtain medicines at economical prices and supply them through its outlet network.
• It promotes awareness of generic medicines so that patients and healthcare providers can make informed choices about lower-cost treatment options.
• The scheme is an affordable-medicine retail initiative, rather than a health-insurance programme or a universal entitlement to free medicines.

Implementation and the importance of quality

The scheme falls under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, and is implemented by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI). Affordability is pursued alongside quality assurance, not as a substitute for it.

• Procured medicine batches undergo quality testing before distribution through the scheme.
• Its public-health value depends on reliable medicine availability, accessible outlets and confidence among prescribers and patients.
• Lower medicine prices address one important barrier to healthcare, but patients also require diagnosis, appropriate prescriptions and access to health services.