Govt wishes to market low-cost cancer drugs
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 these at a minimal rate to Jan Aushadhi stores,” Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertiliser, Srikant Jena, said on the sidelines of a Confederation of Indian Industries conference.
With an aim to make medicines available at an affordable prices, especially for poor and 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 New Delhi. Under this scheme, states provide space in government hospital premises to run these outlets.
The Department of Pharmaceuticals, under the aegis of Chemical and Fertiliser Ministry, has been entrusted with the task of setting these stores across the country. The Minister said the modalities of procurement and pricing of drugs would be decided by early next week.