Jan Aushadhi to sell cancer drugs at minimal price

The government is in talks with pharmaceutical companies for ensuring availability of cancer drugs at a minimal price at their low-cost pharmacy chain Jan Aushadhi stores across the country.

"We are motivating companies, which make cancer drugs that they should supply cancer drugs at a minimal rate to the Jan Aushadhi stores," Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertiliser Srikant Jena told reporters on the sidelines of a CII conference here.

Aiming to make available quality medicines at affordable prices for all, especially the poor and the disadvantaged, the Jan Aushadhi store scheme was launched in 2008. At present, 231 medicines are being supplied in the 44 Jan Aushadhi stores in Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Orissa, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh and Delhi.

Under the scheme, states provide space within government hospital premises for running the outlets.

\The Department of Pharmaceuticals, under the aegis of Chemical and Fertiliser Ministry, has been entrusted with the task of setting up these stores across the country. The Minister said that the modalities of procurement and pricing of drugs would be decided by early next week.

"Discussions with pharma companies are not yet over. It is in the process. In the next couple of days, I will be able to tell you the detail about the procurement process and the pricing of the drugs," he added.

Jena said that after reaching to a conclusion, the price of cancer drugs, which are more in use, would be comparatively less, but the critical ones may not be available below the market price. On increasing the number of Jan Aushadhi stores, he said with the states were more forthright now, the number would come up now.