SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir recorded Rs 69.37 crore in sales under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana during 2025-26, the Union Government informed the Lok Sabha on Friday, while reiterating that every batch of medicines supplied through Jan Aushadhi Kendras undergoes mandatory quality testing before reaching consumers.
Replying to an unstarred question, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said doctors are required under the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, to prescribe medicines using generic names. The Directorate General of Health Services has also directed all doctors in Central Government hospitals, CGHS Wellness Centres and polyclinics to prescribe generic medicines.
According to data tabled in Parliament, Jan Aushadhi Kendras in Jammu and Kashmir recorded sales of Rs 69.37 crore during 2025-26. Across the country, total sales under the scheme stood at Rs 2,252.21 crore, with an estimated 15 lakh people visiting Jan Aushadhi Kendras daily.
The Centre said it does not maintain constituency-wise data on beneficiaries purchasing medicines from Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
Addressing concerns over the quality of generic medicines, the ministry said medicines supplied through Jan Aushadhi Kendras are procured only from manufacturers certified under World Health Organization-Good Manufacturing Practices (WHO-GMP). It added that every batch is tested at National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)-accredited laboratories before being supplied to Kendras, while the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India carries out regular quality audits of manufacturing facilities.
The government said it is conducting nationwide awareness campaigns through print, television, radio, social media and community outreach to improve public confidence in Jan Aushadhi medicines. These include health camps, seminars, rallies, WhatsApp-based outreach, audio-visual campaigns and rural awareness programmes to dispel misconceptions about the quality of generic medicines.
The ministry also informed Parliament that the Jan Aushadhi Sugam mobile application, which enables users to locate nearby Jan Aushadhi Kendras, check medicine availability and compare prices of generic and branded medicines, has been integrated with the Arogya Setu 2.0 platform under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
The government added that under AB-PMJAY, eligible families receive cashless health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family annually, with treatment packages covering medicines, diagnostics, implants, consumables and follow-up care as part of comprehensive hospitalisation benefits.
