Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 6: Secretary Health and Medical Education (H&ME), Bhupinder Kumar, today assessed the functioning of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras (PMBJAK) and Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) Pharmacies operating in various secondary and tertiary care health institutions across the Union Territory.
Director Health Services, Jammu, Director Health Services, Kashmir, Principals of all Government Medical Colleges, State Drugs Controller, J&K ( Nodal Officer, PMBJAK & AMRIT), senior officers of Health and Medical Education, Chief Medical Officers, Medical Superintendents, Project Coordinator, Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP)/BPPI besides representatives of HLL Limited, India attended the meeting.
State Drugs Controller, J&K, presented a detailed presentation highlighting the overall scenario of these stores and current challenges surrounding the initiative.
Secretary impressed upon all the stakeholders to promote the initiatives of Government of India. He highlighted the concept of PMBJAK / AMRIT saying that these stores have been introduced to reduce out of pocket expenditure on account of purchase of medicines considerably. He said that all the stakeholders need to work in tandem to ensure success of these innovative schemes in the larger interest of patient care. He added that the healthcare practitioners should generate prescriptions in generic names only so that common masses are benefitted.
Bhupinder emphasized upon all the functionaries to evolve a scientific approach for enhancing the usage of medicines offered by Jan Aushadhi stores and Amrit Pharmacies within their respective institutions. He stressed upon the participants to hold periodic review of these schemes and take appropriate measures ( viz Prescriptions Audits ) to ensure that the objectives enshrined therein is accomplished to the entire satisfaction of stakeholders particularly end users who are struggling to negotiate the ever increasing expenditure incurred towards treatment.
He further impressed upon the concerned to ensure that all categories of drug are made available at Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadi Kendras located within Public Health Institutions so as to ensure that no prescription gets dishonoured in these pharmacies.
He stressed that in order to promote these initiatives, regular awareness camps are needed to be organised so that acceptance of generic medicines is promoted and the public perception surrounding the same is corrected entirely. He further emphasized on the cheaper drugs offered by PMBJAKs are not quality compromised instead the margins and promotion which otherwise consumes a significant part of pricing structure of drug molecules goes to the benefit of consumers through this direct marketing business module.
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