Agartala, Oct 14 (TIWN): The second Generic Medicine Counter in Tripura under the ‘Jan Aushadhi’ scheme introduced by the central government is running successfully at Indira Gandhi Memorial (IGM) hospital, which was inaugurated by the Tripura Health Minister- Badal Chowdhury on September 28, this year. This store has been providing 12 hours service from 8 am to 8 pm to the patients. The Counter is being managed by the Tripura Markfed employees with the assistance and guidance from the Health & FW Department of Tripura.

At present, a total of 127 different types of commonly prescribed drugs have been made available along with some surgical items as well. An Official from Tripura Markfed says that around more numbers of generic drugs shall be added soon to serve the patients in a better way. He also added that to smoothly run the counter, regular supply of necessary items from the BPPI, Gurgaon is essential. The 3rd Generic Medicine Store is like to be opened at Tripura Medical College and Dr BRAM Hospital at Hapania, confirmed a source.

With the skyrocketing costs of healthcare in recent times, choosing generic drugs may be the way to keep costs lower because Generic items are available at around 1/4th to 1/3rd price of their branded counter parts while providing same efficacy! Research works throughout the world show that generics work just as well as brand name drugs. Generic drugs have the same active ingredients as branded drugs but are much cheaper than the brand-name drugs. 

To ensure the availability of quality medicines at affordable prices to all, the Dept of Pharmaceutical, Union Ministry of Chemical & Fertilizers, decided to lunch in 2008 a nation-wide campaign viz ‘Jan Aushadhi’ as a direct market intervention strategy.

At such Jan Aushadhi Stores provide high quality generic medicines manufactured by approved pharma companies are being sold at low prices. Such medicines are equivalent in potency and efficacy to branded drugs. On behalf of the Dept of Pharmaceuticals, an independent society named the Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) runs the implementation of the Jan Aushadhi Scheme (JAS) since December, 2008 with the support of all the Pharma PSUs viz Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (IDPL), Rajasthan Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (RDPL), Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd (HAL), Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (KAPL) and Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BCPL).

It may be mentioned that the 1st Generic Medicine Counter was started on the March 20, this year at the AGMC & GBP Hospital and it was the first generic store among all north-eastern states. However there is dissatisfaction among patient parties regarding its location which is far from the wards and inside the campus. If it were rather situated near the casualty/emergency block, then patients could have availed the counter easily. Compared to the first counter at the GBP Hospital, the second one at the IGM Hospital is doing better business due to its well placed location and comparatively more cooperation from the side of the prescribing doctors of IGM Hospital.