The Tamil Nadu government will make generic and other medicines available to the public at affordable prices through 1,000 Mudhalvar Marundhagams (Chief Minister’s Pharmacy) opened across the State in the first phase.
The government announced that 500 of these pharmacies will be run by cooperative societies, and many will be managed by entrepreneurs who are also qualified pharmacists. These 1,000 are part of the first phase of such pharmacies set up by the Cooperation Department.
Former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa launched Amma Pharmacy in June 2014 to sell quality medicines at a “fair price.” Ten pharmacies were then set up in various parts of the State. Some of the pharmacies continue to be run.
Interestingly, today happens to be her birthday, and Chief Minister MK Stalin launched the Chief Minister’s Pharmacy.
In the first phase, nearly 1,000 Chief Minister medical shops will be established, where medicines will be available at a discount of up to 75 per cent and provide employment opportunities to 1,500 B.Pharm/D.Pharm graduates.
In his Independence Day speech last year, Stalin said people had to go to private pharmacies to buy medicines at exorbitant prices. To solve this problem, 1,000 Chief Minister Dispensaries will be opened in the first phase under a new scheme called “Chief Minister’s Pharmacy” to make generic and other medicines available at affordable prices.
Generic medicines worth ₹1.50 lakh have been provided as a subsidy to all Chief Minister’s Pharmacies run by entrepreneurs, and ₹1.50 lakh worth of branded medicines, surgical and other medicines, including Indian medicines, have been provided through the Tamil Nadu Consumer Cooperative Federation.
On the occasion, Stalin said the DMK government focused on education and health, and that the pharmacies aimed to reduce the burden on the public.