Empowering Communities Through Jan Ausadhi Kendra: In-Depth Analysis of Outreach and Impact

Abstract

The use of pharmaceuticals to cure ailments has grown worldwide since the recognition of modern medicines as a scientific and dependable technique of treatment. Increased healthcare expenses are a serious problem in a country like India, where economic conditions are not favourable. Hence, the Government of India launched the Jan Aushadhi Kendras under Jan Aushadhi Scheme to provide generic medicines at a reasonable price to the general public, while being comparable in quality and efficiency to pricey branded treatments. For implementation of better policy for generic medicines, it is essential to have scientific data on the consumers’ attitude and experience of generic medicines through Jan Aushadhi Kendras. However, there is limited insight on this issue due to very few studies conducted. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Ahmedabad city to understand the impact and outreach of Jan Aushadhi Kendras while simultaneously gauging perception and awareness of people towards Jan Aushadhi Kendras. The data was collected and collated using a pre-validated self-made questionnaire containing 25 multiple-choice questions. To meet the study's purpose, the responses collected from with 152 respondents were analysed and represented as graphs and tables. The results indicated that though respondents has fairly good idea about the existence and services of Jan Aushadhi Kendra, they were sceptical about the limited range of medicines and supply chain at JAK. People also believed that to address the issue ignorance and incorrect information about Jan Aushadhi Scheme and generic medicines, healthcare workers and authorities should take a proactive approach to dispel myths about generics and promote widespread acceptance of the program.