The central government has eased the guidelines for opening Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) in major cities by removing the minimum distance requirement between outlets in metropolitan and “million-plus” urban centres, according to a recent report.
The move is aimed at expanding the reach of the low-cost pharmacy network, which provides affordable and quality medicines under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).
A circular issued by the Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) on September 10 highlighted that the decision was taken to ensure wider accessibility and equitable distribution of JAKs in highly populated urban clusters.
The new guidelines state that no distance restriction will apply in the seven metros—Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad. The relaxation also extends to 46 other cities with a population of over one million, as per the 2011 Census, such as Pune, Surat, Jaipur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Nagpur, Ghaziabad, Indore, Coimbatore, and Kochi. However, in these million-plus cities, the exemption does not apply to Kendras that have not completed two years of operation.
The existing distance norms will continue to remain in place for smaller towns and cities outside this category.
Since its inception, the scheme has grown rapidly—from just 80 Kendras in 2014 to 16,912 across the country as of June 30. By offering generic medicines that match branded drugs in quality and efficacy but are available at a fraction of the cost, Jan Aushadhi Kendras have significantly reduced out-of-pocket expenses for citizens.
