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The Parliamentary Panel on Chemicals and Fertilisers has once again sought the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) to include life saving tuberculosis drugs or mental illness drugs in the affordable drug pharmacy initiative under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).
It also desired that the Department would conduct review from time to time on its decision to discontinue sales of antimicrobial injection benzyl penicillin from the Jan Aushadhi Kendras, which operate under the PMBJP scheme.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers, in its 11th report reviewing the action taken by the Government on its recommendations on a previous report (5th report) on ‘Demands for Grants 2024-25’ of the DoP, said that in its previous meeting, it had desired that the Department should make efforts towards requisite augmentation of JAKs so that they become a one stop place for all kinds of medicines for the common people by bringing the life saving drugs for TB or Mental illness.
The Department, in their Action Taken Notes informed the Panel that the recommendations have been taken note of.
"The Committee hope that these life saving TB or mental illness drugs would be included in the PMBJP Product Basket," said the Panel headed by Member of Parliament Kirti Jha Azad.
In the previous report, the Panel also said that benzylpenicillin, atropine, and streptomycin injection are not part of the PMBJP product basket and are not at all procured. In response, the Department said that it was earlier available in the PMBI basket, but due to low demand and no sales, its procurement was discontinued.
The Panel, in its latest report, noted this and opined, "Keeping in view the importance of the medicines the Committee desire that the decision to discontinue procurement due to low demand may be reviewed from time to time".
In the previous report, the Panel observed that tuberculosis medicines are not part of the PMBJP product basket as there is a separate TB programme of the ministry of health & family welfare to provide free medicines for TB patients under the TB Eradication Plan. However, the Panel stated that the capacity of JAKs need further augmentation and feasibility studies for bringing these life saving drugs for TB or mental illnesses into the PMBJP Product Basket may be carried out.
The Department said that the recommendations has been taken note of and the Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), the implementing agency for JAKs, as part of its continuous process of augmenting the product basket under Jan Aushadhi, would review whether any more additions may be done.
For anti TB medicines, TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan was launched in the year 2021 and registration of all TB patients was done under a separate campaign by the ministry of health and family welfare with the aim of providing free medicines.
"PMBI surveyed more than 100 JAKs and decided not to include anti-TB medicines due to low demand and the free availability under the aforementioned campaign," said the Department in its action taken report.
It further informed the Panel that more than 278 medicines for mental ailments or illness are available in the PMBI product basket and more medicines may be added based on suggestions or demand from stakeholders. The medicine Atropine is already available in the PMBI basket according to the demand pattern, it added.
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