**Executive Summary**
This document contains the Minister of Health and Family Welfare's response to an unstarred question raised in Lok Sabha regarding the supply of life-saving medicines, revision of maximum price limits, and the expansion of Jan Aushadhi Kendras. The response, dated February 13, 2026, outlines the government's support for providing essential medicines through the National Health Mission (NHM) and initiatives to ensure their availability at affordable prices. No immediate action items or deadlines are explicitly mentioned in the document itself.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Support for Essential Medicines:**
* Financial support is provided to States/UTs under the National Health Mission (NHM) to strengthen healthcare and provide free essential medicines in public health facilities.
* The Ministry recommends facility-wise Essential Drugs Lists (EDL) for public healthcare facilities to ensure widespread access to essential medicines.
* **Monitoring and Supply Chain Management:**
* The Ministry has adopted a multi-layered monitoring approach to identify and address gaps in procurement, supply chain, and stock management.
* Many States have implemented digital platforms like the Drugs and Vaccine Distribution Management System (DVDMS) to track procurement, consumption, and replenishment of drugs.
* Senior officials from Union and State Governments conduct field visits to monitor the availability and utilization of services.
* **Price Regulation:**
* The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) fixes the ceiling prices of scheduled drugs listed in Schedule-I of DPCO, 2013, which are based on the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM).
* Manufacturers cannot sell scheduled drugs above the ceiling price (plus applicable GST) fixed by the NPPA.
* Ceiling prices of scheduled formulations are revised annually based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI).
* Manufacturers of non-scheduled formulations cannot increase the MRP by more than 10% during the preceding 12 months.
* **Jan Aushadhi Kendras:**
* Quality generic medicines are made available at affordable prices through the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) in collaboration with State Governments.
* As of December 31, 2025, 713 Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAK) have been opened in Maharashtra under PMBJP.
**Impact Analysis**
**States/UTs**
* **Impact:** Receive financial support through NHM to strengthen healthcare delivery and provide free essential medicines.
* **Action Required:** Develop Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) that outline their requirements for essential medicines; implement digital platforms for supply chain management; collaborate with the Union Government to ensure the availability and utilization of services.
**Pharmaceutical Manufacturers**
* **Impact:** Must adhere to ceiling prices fixed by the NPPA for scheduled drugs; subject to monitoring and price regulation.
* **Action Required:** Comply with DPCO, 2013 regulations regarding ceiling prices; ensure MRP of non-scheduled formulations does not increase by more than 10% annually.
**Citizens (Especially in Rural Areas)**
* **Impact:** Improved access to affordable, quality generic medicines through Jan Aushadhi Kendras and free essential medicines at public health facilities.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the services provided by Jan Aushadhi Kendras and public health facilities for their medicine needs.
Key Entities Referenced
National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM): A list of essential medicines published by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, used as a basis for setting price limits and ensuring availability.
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP): A scheme to make quality generic medicines available at affordable prices.
Drug Price Control Order, 2013 (DPCO, 2013): Order regulating the prices of essential medicines, including their revision based on the Wholesale Price Index.
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA): The regulator responsible for fixing the ceiling prices of scheduled drugs based on the NLEM.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The ministry responsible for ensuring the supply of life-saving medicines and the expansion of Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
GOVERNMENT OFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2352
TOBE ANSWERED ON 13thFEBRUARY,2026
SUPPLYOFLIFE SAVINGMEDICINES
†2352.SMT.DELKAR KALABEN MOHANBHAI:
SHRINILESH DNYANDEVLANKE:
SHRIBHUMARE SANDIPANRAOASARAM:
DR. SHIVAJIBANDAPPAKALGE:
Will the Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) the steps taken/proposed tobe takenbythe Government to ensure anuninterrupted supply
chain of life saving and essential medicines to Government hospitals and rural health
facilitiesacross variousStates of the country;
(b) whether the Government is considering any proposal to revise the existing maximum
price limits for life saving medicines, including those listed in the National List of Essential
Medicines(NLEM) andif so, the details thereof,State-wise,includingMaharashtra; and
(c) the current status of the expansion of Jan Aushadhi Kendras (generic medicine stores) in
rural areas of Maharashtra and the measures that are being taken to ensure the availability of
medicinesat the primary healthcarelevel?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY
WELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) to (c): Under the National Health Mission (NHM), financial support is provided to the
States/UTs for strengthening theirhealthcare delivery system including support for provision
of free essential medicines in public health facilities based on the requirements posed by
States/UTs in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) within their overall resource
envelope. Under Free Drugs Service Initiative, Ministry has recommended facility wise
Essential Drugs List (EDL) to be made available at the public healthcare facilities in the
countrytoensure widespread accesstoessential medicines.
The Ministry has adopted a multi-layered monitoring approach to identify and address gaps
in procurement, supply chain, and stock management. Many States have adopted digital
platforms like Drugs and Vaccine Distribution Management System (DVDMS) to track
procurement, consumption, and replenishment of the drugs. Field visits by senior officials of
Union Government as well as State Government also monitor the availability and utilisationof these services.
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) under Department of Pharmaceuticals
fixes the ceiling prices of scheduled drugs as listed in Schedule-I of DPCO, 2013 which is
based on the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) published by Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare. No manufacturer (whether generic or branded) of scheduled medicines
can sell such drug above the ceiling price (plus applicable Goods and Service Tax) fixed by
the NPPAwhether in urbanor rural area.As per the provisions of DPCO, 2013, ceiling prices
of scheduled formulations are revised every year as per annual Wholesale Price Index (WPI)
(all commodities) for preceding calendar year on or before 1st April of every year, which is
notified by the Government on the 1st day of April every year. In case of non-scheduled
formulation, manufacturers are required not to increase MRP by more than 10% of the MRP
during preceding12months.
Qualitygeneric medicinesare made availableat affordable pricestoall underPradhanMantri
Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) in collaboration with the State Governments. As
on 31.12.2025, 713 Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAK) have been opened in the State of
Maharashtra underPMBJP.
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