PRINCE KUMAR
Ranchi, March 7: The Jan Aushadhi Kendra at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) is proving a great boon for the patients as the medicines available in the centre are available with a discount of 50-92% in comparison to the branded ones.
At the same time, due to the unavailability of some medicines, poor patients have to turn their heads towards branded ones.
According to the administration of the Jan Aushadhi Kendra at RIMS, at present, 575 types of medicines are available at the store and other types of medicine will be soon made available at the stores.
“In case the medicines are not available in the store which is written by the doctors, then we note it down so that it can be made available,” a worker at Jan Aushadhi Kendra said.
On the unavailability of medicines prescribed by the CTVS department in the Jan Aushadhi Kendra, Dr Rakesh Kumar Choudhary said that generic medicine does not have such kind of medicines as it is a combination of 5-6 different medicines which are available in the branded ones.
“If a person has to procure generic medicines we can write the composition of the medicines but in that case, the patient will have to consume more than 10 medicines whereas in the branded ones they will have to only consume 2 to 3 medicines,” Dr Rakesh said.
“In my opinion, RIMS should have its own pharmacy where all types of branded medicines are available at a discount of 30-40% which is being done in AIIMS Delhi. In such a case, patients will benefit a lot and they will not have to travel to get the medicines,” Dr Rakesh added.
Head of the Oncology department at RIMS, Dr Rohit Kumar Jha said that few medicines prescribed to the patients by the department are available in the store of generic medicines while many others are still not available.
“For the convenience of the patients as well as the generic store we write a molecular composition of the medicine,” Dr Jha said.
Seema Devi who had reached RIMS to take the generic medicine prescribed by the department of orthopaedic said that almost all the medicines are available in the store prescribed by the orthopaedic doctors.
“After the opening of the store, I generally prefer to take generic medicines as it is very cheap compared to the branded ones. A branded medicine which costs me Rs100 is available for Rs 18 which has reduced the burden,” Devi said.
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is a campaign launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals in association with Central Pharma Public Sector Undertakings, to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses through dedicated outlets called ‘Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra.
Through these outlets, generic medicines are provided to people at low prices. The effect of generic medicines is the same as those available in the market; however, generic medicines are priced at a low rate.
