Posted on 05/05/2008 8:07:53 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, announced Monday it would expand its discounted prescription drug program to offer 90-day supplies for $10 and add several women's medications at a discount. It also said it would lower the price of more than 1,000 over-the-counter drugs.
The move marks the third phase of a company program that began in 2006 to provide a 30-day supply of generic prescription drugs for $4. The Bentonville-based company said the program has saved customers more than $1 billion.
With the expansion, the company began filling prescriptions Monday for up to 350 generic medications at $10 for a 90-day supply at Wal-Mart, Neighborhood Market and Sam's Club pharmacies in the U.S. Almost all the prescription generics in the company's $4 program were included in the expanded $10 offer, said Wal-Mart senior vice president John Agwunobi.
In addition, the company will add several women's medications to its list of prescriptions available for $9, including drugs to treat breast cancer and hormone deficiency.
For instance, alendronate, the generic version of osteoporosis medication Fosamax, will be added to the list. Company pharmacies will fill 30-day prescriptions of alendronate for $9 and a 90-day supply for $24 at a comparison of $54 and $102, respectively, that women previously paid for the same amounts, the company said.
Tamoxifen, used to treat breast cancer, will be offered for $9 for a 30-day supply, as well as combination estrogen/methyltestosterone tablets, prescribed for menopause and hormone deficiency.
Wal-Mart also will lower the prices of more than 1,000 over-the-counter medications to $4 or less in its pharmacies, company officials said. The company has sold over-the-counter medicines in the past at discounted prices, but revised and expanded its offerings specifically to include commonly used drugs that usually sell for $7 or more, said company spokesman Deisha Galberth.
The over-the-counter medication price rollbacks represent about one-third of the retailer's over-the-counter medicines. They include Wal-Mart's Equate versions of popular drugs, including Zantac, Pepcid and Claritin, and Wal-Mart's Spring Valley prenatal vitamins.
Since 2006, Wal-Mart's $4 generic drug program has expanded to every state, except North Dakota, where Wal-Mart has no in-store pharmacies. And many company competitors have followed the retailer's lead.
While stressing that the expansion was designed to help customers at a time of exorbitant health-care costs and difficult economic times, Agwunobi said the program has worked in everyone's favor.
"This is the time for us now to begin building capacity," he said. "It offers (customers') employers potential savings. It offers the customers significant savings. It also offers us the ability to add capacity to our pharmacies without adding people."
Agwunobi expects the 90-day discount will increase the company's market share of mail-order and online prescriptions as customers realize the value of the company offer.
Wal-Mart Chief Operating Officer Bill Simon said the results in each phase of the program have been strong and prescription volume has increased, "exceeding our expectations." He said the company would not, however, offer free generic drugs at its in-store clinics as some competitors have.
"We're in business to make money," Simon said. "Free is a price that is not a long-term sustainable proposition."
Shares of Wal-Mart fell 53 cents to $56.97 Monday.
While the government twidles it’s thumbs, Wal-Mart comes to the aid of Americans on health care. I’m betting their in-store clinics will also put the hospitals to shame too. Who in their right mind would buy generic drugs anywhere else? Wally World is saving us a bundle. Their prices beats our insurance drug plan.
But their "Sam's Choice" OxyContin 'effin rocks!
Watch out for falling Freepers...
Get a copy of the WM $4 and $10 RX drug list, keep it in your purse or car, then present it to the doctor when he/she needs to prescribe medicine for you.
It has saved us lots of money.
My father gets his Lipitor at Sam's Club which is owned by Wal Mart, but I don't know how much he pays. I would assume it's better than Walgreen's or CVS's price.
Here’s Walmarts $4.00 list by categories http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=546834
Must remember spell check.
We don’t shop at Wal*Mart for prescriptions because although our insurance is accepted there, they always seem to mess up the prescription pricing and have to void it, re-do it, etc. I don’t take blood pressure meds, but I come close to needing it after 30 minutes at the counter. I don’t blame Wal*Mart in general, just the idiots at the store closest to my house. The store where I used to live did a great job.
But I go to Target for prescriptions.
Anyway, this really is great because Target/Kmart/Krogers/etc., will follow suit, so this benefits everyone.
FYI: Here are the discount lists for various stores. Some (ending with .pdf) are direct links to Adobe Acrobat Flies.
Target:
sites.target.com/images/pharmacy/ pharmacy_4dollar_program_list.pdf
K*Mart:
https://pharmacy.kmartcorp.com/documents/90%20Day%20Generics%20Formulary%20Sheet%20July%202007.pdf
Kroger:
http://www.kroger.com/generic/
Wal*Mart:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=546834
Thanks, Wal*Mart!
Walgreen's, in order to compete, has come up with a fairly similar generic-drug program, although I forget the specifics. One major difference, however: There is an annual fee--I think it is $20 for individuals and $35 for families, although I am not quite certain of those numbers--which tends to nullify (or at least greatly reduce) the savings that would otherwise accrue to the company's customers. (This is reminiscent of credit cards that carry an annual fee--why would anyone carry one?--or even a "cover charge" at a night club.)
Feel free to bend over for standard drugstore pricing if you feel you can afford it. The rest of us will get our lower-cost meds at Wal-Mart. With the massive volume and customer base that Wally World has, I don't think they're going to risk liability exposure by selling us tainted drugs. They are in a position to build their own plants and set their own standards anywhere in the world they want.
I got hosed by Wal-Mart on my Lisinopril prescription. Got a 90 day supply and they charged me a total of $12 ($4 x three months) rather than the $10 listed on the web site. ;-)
Yep, I can easily see Wal-Mart branching into pharmaceuticals and healthcare. Pretty soon there’s going to be Sam’s Choice Viagra ROFL.
I prefer Smart and Final's pain killers.
Yes, but will it be Samantha's choice?
Description: Makes you as stiff as Ol'Roy.
Caution: If you have a desire to ride in the bed of an ol' red truck for more than 4 hours please consult your local Walmart Clinic Physician or NP as soon as possible.
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