Pune to get two generic medicine stores

Pune will have two 24-hour generic medicine shops at Aundh District Hospital and Pimpri Railway station as part of the "Jan Aushadhi" scheme. Indian Railways will also open Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras at various stations. Generic medicines have the same active ingredient as brand-name medicines but are often cheaper.

Pune will get two round-the-clock generic medicine shops — at Aundh District Hospital and Pimpri Railway station — under the Centre’s “Jan Aushadhi” (generic medicine) scheme, said officials.

One of the medical shops will come up at the premises of district hospital in Aundh. (HT PHOTO)

The ministry of railways will set up Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) at some stations to promote the Centre’s mission to make available medicines and consumables (Janaushadhi products) at affordable price. The Indian Railway has identified 50 stations for the pilot project, including Pimpri, according to a statement released by the Indian Railway.

The generic medicine shop at Aundh District Hospital (ADH) is a part of the state government’s decision taken last month to start the facility on the campus of government hospitals run by the public health department to promote PMBJKs.

Dr Nagnath Yempalay, district civil surgeon, said, “The shop will be set up on the district hospital campus. The scheme will cover other public health facilities soon.”

Dr Yempalay said that the generic medicine shops at government medical colleges in the state have been a boon for poor patients. “The facility at ADH will also benefit the general public,” he said.

According to medical experts, generic medicines have the same active ingredient as brand-name medicines and work in the same way but may look different and contain different non-active ingredients. Generic alternatives are often cheaper than brand-name medicines as manufacturers have not spent money on research and development of the medicine or buying the rights to sell it.