Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Ananth Kumar. DH File Photo
Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Ananth Kumar said on Saturday that the Centre was trying to make prescription of generic drugs mandatory by amending the law.
Speaking after inaugurating the generic stores started under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna’ here, he said generic medicines will be cheaper than equivalent branded medicines.
Under the Pariyojna, the government has so far opened 1,100 stores where more than 650 medicines and 150 health supplements are sold at cheaper rates. The Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India is the nodal implementation agency for this programme.
The minister said the country’s pharma industry produces Rs 2 lakh crore worth of medicines annually, of which half is consumed in the domestic market. Medicines worth Rs 1 lakh crore are exported to various countries.