Post News Network
BHUBANESWAR, Dec 9: The newly introduced Drug Distribution Centres (DDC) is posing a threat to the Janaousadhi stores. The recently revised Essential Drugs List (EDL) of the state includes all the drugs that can be available both at Janaousadhi and DDCs. As the DDCs will provide medicines for free, Janaousadhi stores are set to take a hit.
In fact, Janaousadhi, which has established 22 stores across the state, was already in danger. It was plagued by several issues. They included doctors’ refusal to prescribe generic medicines, irregular supply to stores, and more importantly the non-cooperation of other general medicine stores. Vested interests were at play, as there are hefty profits in general medicine sales. Doctors too seemed to play along.
The decision of the state government to open DDCs at every district hospital added to the woes of Janaousadhi. “The DDCs will provide the entire set of generic drugs listed in the EDL to patients for free. It would mean the low-cost medicines at Janaousadhi will hardly have any takers,” a specialist noted.
Indian Red Cross Society’s Orissa state branch (IRCS-OSB) has been managing all the 22 Janaousadhi stores in the state. The stores were introduced in Bhubaneswar in 2010, and this set in motion a plan to have such stores in all other districts. The process is onging.
IRCS-OSB secretary Chakradhar Panda told Orissa POST that the Janaousadhi stores fell victim to the monopolistic attitude of doctors and the general medicine stores. “The Janaousadhi stores have stocked only the drugs with generic names, and doctors refused to prescribe these. The general medicine stores did not like introduction of low-cost drug stores,” said Panda.
“The Janaousadhi stores are supposed to stock about 210 generic drugs which, in reality, are only about 50 to 56 at a time due to the irregular supplies from drug distributors. If the supply chain is largely defunct, the stocks will also get affected,” noted Panda.
The low-cost medicine stores have a poor sales record. In April, it sold drugs of about Rs 3.31lakh while in May the sales was of Rs 3.28lakh. However, the past two months’ records showed it was gaining popularity. In October, the stores showed sales of Rs 13.15lakh while in November it was Rs 11.29lakh.
The two stores in the capital have the minimum sales. Both the Janaousadhis were selling drugs for around Rs 50 to 60 thousand a month – which is usually a day’s sale of other popular general medical stores.