Wal-Mart to Offer Discounted Generic Prescription Drugs
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    Default Wal-Mart to Offer Discounted Generic Prescription Drugs

    NEW YORK — Wal-Mart plans to begin selling nearly 300 generic prescription drugs for a sharply reduced price, offering a big lure for bargain-seeking customers and presenting a challenge to competing pharmacy chains.

    The world's biggest retailer said Thursday that it will test its sales program, in which 291 generic drugs will be sold at $4 for a month's supply, in Florida. The drugs involved provide treatments for conditions ranging from allergies to high-blood pressure.

    Selling generic drugs at prices that don't offer much if any margin for profit could serve two purposes for Wal-Mart: It could draw customers away from big pharmacy chains to Wal-Mart stores that offer a much wider array of products, and it could help Wal-Mart with an image problem stemming from its policies on health insurance for employees.

    "We're able to do this by using one of our greatest strengths as a company — our business model and our ability to drive costs out of the system, and the model that passes those costs savings to our customers," Bill Simon, executive vice president of the company's professional services division, said in announcing the plan at a Tampa, Fla., store. "In this case were applying that business model to health care."

    Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) officials said the reduced price represents a savings to the customer of up to 70 percent on some drugs. The average monthly cost for a generic drug prescription is $28.74, according to the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. For branded drugs, that figure is $96.01.

    Critics said the plan was a cover for Wal-Mart's failure to provide its employees adequate health care. They contend that the company's benefits are too stingy, forcing taxpayers to absorb more of the cost as the workers lacking coverage turn to state-funded health care programs.

    The program will be launched on Friday at 65 Wal-Mart, Neighborhood Market and Sams' Club pharmacies in the Tampa Bay area and will be expanded to the entire state in January.

    Simon wouldn't be specific about why Florida and specifically the Tampa Bay area was chosen for the rollout of the initiative, saying only that there was a need for it here.

    The company said it plans to expand the program to as many states as possible next year.

    Simon said the 291 generic drugs include "the most commonly prescribed drugs for the some of the most common illnesses that face Americans today, including cardiac disease, asthma, diabetes, glaucoma, Parkinson's (disease) and thyroid conditions."

    Simon wouldn't give details on how much the plan is expected to cost Wal-Mart or the company's dealings with the drug companies involved.

    The $4 prescriptions are not available by mail order and are being offered online only if picked up in person in the Tampa Bay area.

    In a conference call with reporters, Simon said that the generic drugs would not be sold at a loss to entice customers into the stores, a strategy that has been used in Wal-Mart's toy business.

    He said Wal-Mart is working with drugmakers to help them be more efficient, but added, "We are working with them as partners. We are not pressuring them to reduce prices."

    Tampa Wal-Mart pharmacy customer Pat Sullivan praised the company's initiative. The retired Massachusetts police officer said $4 generic prescriptions are a tremendous help.

    "I'm on disability and my benefits run out by the end of the month," he said. "It comes down to where do I go for a $100 prescription? I have no outlet other than to break a pill in half and take half today and half tomorrow."

    The initiative — the fourth since last October that Wal-Mart has moved to improve health benefits — drew criticism from one of its most vocal critics, union-backed Wake Up Wal-Mart.

    "While lowering prescription drug costs is a good thing, Wal-Mart cruelly ignores the fact that it fails to provide company health care to over half of its employees which leaves 46 percent of its workers children uninsured or on public health care," said Chris Kofinis, spokesman for Wake Up Wal-Mart, in a statement. "Wal-Mart needs to answer one very simple, but serious question — why not just improve the health care coverage of its employees?

    Wal-Mart's recent moves to improve its health care included relaxing eligibility requirements for its part-time employees who want health insurance, and extending coverage for the first time to the children of those employees. Part-time employees, who had to work for Wal-Mart for two years to qualify, now have to work at the company for one year. This year, Wal-Mart also expanded a trial run of in-store clinics, aimed at providing lower cost non-emergency health care to the public.

    Last October, Wal-Mart offered a new lower-premium insurance aimed at getting more of its work force on company plans.

    But critics argue that Wal-Mart's coverage calls for a deductible that requires workers to pick up the first $1,000 in medical expenses, and the deductible rises to a maximum of $3,000 for families.

    Wake Up Wal-Mart has called upon Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart to offer better health care coverage and higher pay to employees.

    This past summer, Wal-Mart won a successful fight against a first-of-its-kind state law that would have required the retailer to spend more on employee health care in Maryland. A federal judge ruled in July that it was invalid under federal law. But other states are considering similar legislation aimed at the company.

    Its shares fell 30 cents to $48.57 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
    "Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.” -- Gen. George S. Patton

  2. #2
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    Having watched a documentary about the inner-workings of Wal Mart, not sure if I wanna keep giving them my checks.

    If I'm wrong please let me know but I'm gonna be going elsewhere for my spending needs.
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    And the country gets further hooked on prescription meds...
    "Suck a fat one, faggot."
    -MikeL, showing off that sharp wit of his.

    "You may recognize some of these chemicals. Let's start with cyanide...The one the Aum Shinrikyo cult attempted to use to commit mass murder in a Tokyo subway in May 1995...The same cyanide produced routinely--1.4 million tons per year--for use in the production of plastics, adhesives, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and so on. It seems that those who put small amounts of cyanide in subways are terrorists. But those who produce it in mass quantities and contaminate broad reaches of soil, water, and air, killing countless living beings, are not terrorists, but rather capitalists, and are counted among the finest and most powerful people on the planet."

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    Quote Originally Posted by janthraxx
    And the country gets further hooked on prescription meds...
    And the alternative is what..."wishing" things will get better? It doesn't work for the Christian Scientists that refuse medical treatment, does it?

    The sad fact to face here is that people get old. One would not believe the difficulty for the elderly in this country to get the proper meds they need at a decent price. Why do you think folk are resorting to getting their meds from Canada? Elderly folk on a limited income simply do not have many other options.

    My parents were a great example. Faced with limited retirement funds they had, they would make choices, such as going without air conditioning to afford the prescribed drugs they both needed. In Florida, that sucks yet in no way is it as bad as other folks out there.

    No, I do not believe in solving everything in life through pharmacueticals. All too often, drugs make up for crappy parenting.

    Yet if these prescriptions ease the suffering of those in pain (in their heads or the physical kind) who truly are in need of them and are available at a cheaper rate, I'm all for it.
    "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
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    Totally agree with you ChefCraig, good post.
    ((Just My Two Cents))
    And thats about what its worth.

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    I haven't shopped at Walmart in 3 yrs and doubt I ever will, especially after that news report.... I try to support our locally owned stores if possible. (although more expensive! )

    I do understand people that use the Walmart pharmacy. My grandmother is 94 yrs old and is in relatively perfect health. She does take a cardiac drug to keep her heart from racing... other than that she is very fortunate. My family would pick up the care financially if it was needed - I can't begin to imagine how some of our more senior Americans, with excessive medical needs & no financial means keep it together. Heartbreaking. My husband has patients that end up admitted weekly to the hospital because they just can't afford the perscriptions they desperately need.
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    most of the competing stores here have picked up the $4 meds. no need to go to Wal-Mart.
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    Quote Originally Posted by twonabomber View Post
    most of the competing stores here have picked up the $4 meds. no need to go to Wal-Mart.
    Dude we live in Charlottesville Va, the second most expensive place to live in VA - this place is crazy. I'll have to see if our Target does the $4 thing (I don't use any scripts so I'm not familiar with any other places)

    This town vetoed a Super Walmart because Kroger, Harris Teeter and Whole Foods pitched a hissy about going broke. The only reason we have a Target is because after 4+ yrs Target finally caved and built a "Jeffersonian Influenced" exterior on the store.... only one like it in the world... ridiculous!

    We have no Olive Garden because OG wouldn't alter their exterior as well. I think I heard we are getting one soon though... maybe they caved finally????

    Sorry, back on Topic!
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    nothing wrong with what they're doing.

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    Quote Originally Posted by chefcraig View Post
    And the alternative is what..."wishing" things will get better? It doesn't work for the Christian Scientists that refuse medical treatment, does it?

    The sad fact to face here is that people get old. One would not believe the difficulty for the elderly in this country to get the proper meds they need at a decent price. Why do you think folk are resorting to getting their meds from Canada? Elderly folk on a limited income simply do not have many other options.

    My parents were a great example. Faced with limited retirement funds they had, they would make choices, such as going without air conditioning to afford the prescribed drugs they both needed. In Florida, that sucks yet in no way is it as bad as other folks out there.

    No, I do not believe in solving everything in life through pharmacueticals. All too often, drugs make up for crappy parenting.

    Yet if these prescriptions ease the suffering of those in pain (in their heads or the physical kind) who truly are in need of them and are available at a cheaper rate, I'm all for it.
    I agree. I've heard of some people taking less than half their prescribed dose just to make the pills last longer. It's truly a shame. Hell, my son has prescriptions for allergies and asthma that he has had to take since he was a little over a year old. We've paid a freaking fortune but he needs it. He's almost 9 BTW. It's ridiculous.

    TST<-----------maybe I should have bought stock in these companies----------

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    Being pharmacist I am going to limit myself to what I am going to say for now. I can rant about this forever. Things are even more different for what you see with the pricing overall.

    Here is one example. There was a recall some years ago with the Proventil/albuterol inhalers. They issued 2 seperate recall notices one for the brand-Proventil and one for the generic-Albuterol. They had the same lot numbers, which means they are made in the same batch. So if they are made together why is there a $15.00 price difference between the 2? Because the government lets them get away with it ,they pay off the difference with the insurance companies with rebates and the consumer makes up the difference with the higher copay for the brand.

    Medicare part D is just a lame excuse for the government about pricing.


    I can go on and on.......

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    Quote Originally Posted by it's me View Post
    nothing wrong with what they're doing.
    You're right it is all legal, but is it "right" morally? I'm a softee, I think they need to be able to evaluate on a case by case situation. Just me. I'd hate to be them - not much to even live on or in it looks.
    Whole thing is terrible and sad.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Onirb View Post
    Being pharmacist I am going to limit myself to what I am going to say for now. I can rant about this forever. Things are even more different for what you see with the pricing overall.

    Here is one example. There was a recall some years ago with the Proventil/albuterol inhalers. They issued 2 seperate recall notices one for the brand-Proventil and one for the generic-Albuterol. They had the same lot numbers, which means they are made in the same batch. So if they are made together why is there a $15.00 price difference between the 2? Because the government lets them get away with it ,they pay off the difference with the insurance companies with rebates and the consumer makes up the difference with the higher copay for the brand.

    Medicare part D is just a lame excuse for the government about pricing.


    I can go on and on.......
    when I practiced as a respiratory therapist I was very guilty (of maybe) sliding my asthma and cystic fibrosis kids & families extra drugs. We had our drugs in our dept at the time, now they are better accounted for (likely because of people like me) I shudder at how much trouble I could have gotten in. We had kids in house constantly becaue the family couldn't afford the meds...
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