New Delhi, Mar 17 (IANS): Jan Aushadhi medicines are 50-90 per cent cheaper over market prices of branded medicines, and during the current financial year till February 28, 2022, have led to estimated savings of approximately Rs 4,800 crore to the citizens, the Parliament was told on Wednesday.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) under the aegis of the Department of Pharmaceuticals fixes the ceiling price of scheduled medicines as per provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

In case of non-scheduled medicines, a manufacturer is at liberty to fix the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), but is not allowed to increase the MRP of such formulations by more than 10 per cent per annum, he said.

The NPPA has fixed ceiling prices of 886 scheduled formulations and four scheduled medical devices and fixed retail prices of 1,817 new drugs, Mandaviya added.

Mandaviya also said that the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) has been launched by the government wherein dedicated outlets are opened to provide quality generic medicines at cheaper rates to the citizens.

"Under the Scheme, till February 28, 2022, 8,689 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) have been opened across the country, covering all districts of the country," he said.

The government has set a target to have about 10,500 PMBJKs across the country by March 2025, while the target for 2022-23 is 9,300 PMBJKs.