Lok Sabha Question No. 453 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-21
Subject: Pharmaceutical Products in JAKs
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Dulal Chandra Goswami, Chandeshwar Prasad, Sudarshan Bhagat, Debasree Chaudhuri

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICALS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 453 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 st  July, 2023

## Pharmaceutical Products in JAKs

## †453.   SHRI DULAL CHANDRA GOSWAMI:

SHRI CHANDESHWAR PRASAD:

SHRI SUDARSHAN BHAGAT:

MS. DEBASREE CHAUDHURI:

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) in the country and the pharmaceutical products sold through them during the last five years, year and State-wise including Bihar;
- (b) the details of the policy of the Government to promote the production and sale of generic medicines in the country;
- (c) whether it is true that every physician have been advised to prescribe drugs with generic names legibly to ensure their rational prescription and use of drug and if so, the details thereof; (d) whether the production of generic medicines is continuously increasing in the country over the last five years and if so, the details thereof, State and year-wise;
- (e)  whether  the  Medical  Council  of  India  has  taken  any  action  against  physicians  and Government hospitals for not complying with the above requirement; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SHRI BHAGWANTH KHUBA)

- (a): About 9,512 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) have been opened across the country under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) as on 30.06.2023, out of which 400 PMBJKs have been opened in the state of Bihar . The product basket of PMBJP presently comprises about 1,800 medicines and 285 surgical devices covering all  major  therapeutic  groups  such  as  Cardiovascular,  Anti-cancers,  Anit-diabetics,  Antiinfectives, Anti-allergic, Gastro-intestinal medicines, Nutraceuticals, etc.
- (b): In order to encourage domestic manufacturing of pharmaceutical drugs, including generic medicines, the Department of Pharmaceuticals has launched two Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, viz., PLI Scheme for promotion of domestic manufacturing of critical  Key Starting  Materials  (KSMs)/  Drug  Intermediates  (DIs)/  Active  Pharmaceutical  Ingredients (APIs) within an outlay of Rs. 6,940 crores and PLI Scheme for Pharmaceuticals with an outlay of Rs. 15,000 cr. Further, in order to provide quality generic medicines at affordable prices to all citizens, especially the poor and the deprived ones, Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) has been launched.

(d):  Indian Pharmaceuticals Industry is 3 rd largest by volume and 13 th largest by value in the world producing more than 60,000 generic drugs across 60 therapeutic categories. The annual turnover of the pharmaceutical sector during the last 5 years is as under:

| Financial Year   | Turnover (Rs. in Crore)   |
|------------------|---------------------------|
| 2017-2018        | 2,26,423                  |
| 2018-2019        | 2,58,534                  |
| 2019-2020        | 2,89,998                  |
| 2020-2021        | 3,28,054                  |
| 2021-2022        | 3,44,125                  |

No separate data, is however, maintained regarding production of generic medicines in the country.

(c) ( e) & (f): Clause 1.5 of Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 prescribes that every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names legibly  and  preferably  in  capital  letters  and  he/she  shall  ensure  that  there  is  a  rational prescription and use of drug.

As informed by Ministry of Health and family welfare, the erstwhile MCI had issued circulars directing all Registered Medical Practitioners in the country to comply with the Clause 1.5 of Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002. National Medical Commission Act, 2019 empowers the appropriate State Medical Councils or Ethics and Medical Registration Board of the Commission, to take disciplinary action against a  doctor  for  violation  of  the  provision  of  the  aforesaid  Regulations.  States  have  also  been advised by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to ensure prescription of generic drugs and conduct regular prescription audits in public health facilities.

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