evidence: With the aim to reduce the expenditure incurred by patients on treatment of cancer and heart diseases, the Ministry for Health & Family Welfare on November 15, 2015 opened the Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) outlet at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The retail outlet will sell drugs for the two ailments at highly discounted rates at AIIMS. [...] Stating that AMRIT will be launched in all central government hospitals soon, J P Nadda, Minister for Health & Family Welfare, said, "What we launched in the form of AMRIT pharmacy reflects our strong commitment to reduce the cost of treatment for the patients. Lakhs of patients will benefit from this initiative. The AMRIT pharmacy would be selling 202 cancer and 186 cardio-vascular drugs, and 148 types of cardiac implants at very affordable prices. Patients can buy medicines and implants at 50 to 60 percent cheaper prices than the open market from AMRIT outlet in AIIMS." [...] Initially, AMRIT pharmacy will retail cancer drugs, based on authentic prescriptions from doctors. By this month-end, cardiovascular drugs will be dispensed in line with medicines sold for cancer. Based on the outcome of the AIIMS outlet, this initiative will be taken to other central government hospitals and Regional Cancer Centres.