J&K saved Rs 350 cr under PMBJP last fiscal: PMBI
Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, July 3: Highlighting the effectiveness of the drugs sold at Jan Aushadhi Kendras across J&K, Dr Masood Tanvir, Principal, Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar today urged doctors to prescribe generic drugs and rationalize their prescriptions.
Dr Tanvir made these remarks during an event organized by the Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) at GMC, Srinagar to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of doctors and healthcare professionals in delivering healthcare services with a focus on drugs provided to people under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).
He emphasized the need to rationalize prescriptions and promote the use of generic drugs to ensure both effectiveness and economic viability. He underlined that prescription writing behaviour has changed over time, noting that the cost of a prescription could be normal for one family but abnormal for another.
“Writing a prescription is an art, and what makes it so is the cost it incurs on the patient; the key is effectiveness, and it must be said that over time, the prescription writing behaviour has changed,” he said.
Dr Tanvir expressed concern that some doctors focus more on prescribing medicines without considering their impact on the patient. However, he emphasized that he has always prioritized prescribing cost-effective drugs to patients, ensuring their effectiveness.
He praised Jan Aushadhi and Amrit Stores for supplying good and effective medicines to people at nominal prices, while highlighting that the PMBJP is making a significant difference in the lives of people, particularly those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
Principal GMC at the same time urged the authorities to ensure minimum quality assurance through periodic checks to strengthen public trust. He emphasized that quality assurance is essential for the success of the program.
Rifat Nazir, Nodal Officer of PMBI, stated that in the last fiscal year, J&K residents saved nearly Rs 350 crores through the Jan Aushadhi Kendras. She highlighted that the drugs provided at these kendras undergo three different tests before reaching the end users. “Whenever we find there are issues with a particular drug, all the batches are called back from across the country,” she said.
Currently, she said, there are 240 Jan Aushadhi Kendras in J&K, along with two in Ladakh. She informed that under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), a chain of 9,400 such stores across the country is functional and aims to provide quality medicines to the masses and reduce out-of-pocket expenditure.
Dr Muhammad Salim Khan, Head of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at GMC Srinagar, on the occasion announced that Jan Aushadhi Kendras would be established soon at the Sub District Hospital (SDH), Hazratbal, as well as at the Public Health Centre (PHC) in Harwan and Nishat. “This move aims to ensure people’s access to low-cost and effective medicines,” he said.
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