New Delhi, August 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The government is taking measures to ensure availability of affordable essential medicines through price regulation and welfare initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), Parliament was informed on Friday.
Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Anupriya Patel, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, said quality generic medicines are being made available through Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) at prices generally 50-80 per cent lower than branded medicines.
She said the government has also been implementing the Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) initiative of the Department of Health and Family Welfare, under which medicines for cancer, cardiovascular diseases and other ailments, along with implants, surgical disposables and consumables, are provided at discounted rates.
Through AMRIT Pharmacy stores established in various hospitals and healthcare institutions, patients receive medicines and medical products at an average discount of up to 50 per cent compared to market prices, the minister said.
Patel further informed the House that under the Free Drugs Service Initiative of the National Health Mission (NHM), essential medicines listed under the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) are supplied free of cost at public health facilities ranging from Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to district hospitals across the country.
The minister also highlighted the regulatory framework governing the manufacture, sale and distribution of medicines in India. Drug-related activities are regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Rules, 1945 framed under it through a licensing and inspection mechanism.
Licences for manufacturing, sale and distribution of medicines are issued by State Licensing Authorities appointed by respective state governments. These authorities conduct periodic inspections, including risk-based inspections, to ensure compliance with statutory provisions.
Action, including suspension or cancellation of licences and prosecution in courts, is initiated against companies found violating regulatory norms, Patel said.
She added that medicine prices are regulated under the provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 (DPCO, 2013). Ceiling prices of scheduled medicines are revised annually based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities for the preceding calendar year and are notified by the government on or before April 1 every year.
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