Health Ministry Plans To Open AMRIT Stores Up To Private Players, In Bid To Provide More Affordable Medicines 

Inspired by the success that Jan Aushadhi has had with private franchisees, the Health Ministry has planned to open up Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) stores to individual players to increase the access to medicines at affordable rates, reports The New Indian Express.

The pharmacies, the first of which was opened at AIIMS, Delhi, in 2015, sell expensive drugs such as those used for treating cardiovascular diseases and cancer at a cost that is 30 to 40 per cent cheaper than other products of similar quality. AMRIT stores do not sell the same versions of a drug, but sell branded drugs unlike the Jan Aushadhi stores, that are run by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers.

A senior official was quoted as saying, “We will call for private players to open AMRIT stores all over the country. That way, we can increase access without putting in government funds for establishments. Any person who has an existing store or plans on opening one can apply and will be given a franchise provided s/he meets other conditions. However, one restriction that will be imposed is that the store can only sell AMRIT medicines.”