India stands at a fascinating, if somewhat contradictory, crossroads in healthcare. We proudly wear the mantle of the “world’s pharmacy", supplying affordable generic medicines across continents, while back home, a fierce battle rages over the very soul of affordable medicine access for our own people.

The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), or Jan Aushadhi scheme, is the epicentre of this conflict—a vital initiative aiming to slash the crippling burden of healthcare costs, yet facing stiff headwinds from powerful quarters. Its rapid expansion offers cause for celebration, but a closer look, particularly through a state-level lens, reveals crucial lessons we must heed if this quiet revolution is to transform India’s health landscape.

Let’s not mince words: the sheer pace of Jan Aushadhi’s growth in recent years is remarkable. From a sluggish start with a mere 80 Kendras by 2015, the network has exploded, crossing the 15,000 mark by early 2024-25, smashing government targets ahead of schedule. Think about it—at one point, a new government-backed generic drug store was opening roughly every two hours. And it wasn’t just bureaucratic box-ticking where stores were being opened just for the sake of it; it translated into tangible relief for millions. Union health minister JP Nadda recently highlighted a staggering Rs 28,000 crore saved by patients purchasing medicines through these Kendras, thanks to discounts ranging from 50 to an incredible 80 per cent compared to branded equivalents.

This expansion signifies a direct assault on the high out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) on medicines that tragically pushes an estimated 7 per cent of our population below the poverty line each year. While Jan Aushadhi sales, hovering around Rs 1,500 crore annually, are still a fraction of India’s massive Rs 1.5 lakh crore pharmaceutical market, their impact punches far above its weight. Studies suggest every rupee spent in a Jan Aushadhi Kendra saves households around six rupees—a lifeline for families struggling to afford essential, often life-saving, treatments. This momentum, contributing to a significant drop in overall health OOPE over the last decade, is something to champion as it represents a concrete step towards........

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