Breaking: Walmart to offer Generic drugs at $4 for a month's supply

[Perky]

This is huge. Distaste for walmart tactics or not. This is a great deal for seniors

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WAL_MART_HEALTH_CARE?SITE=CATOR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-09-21-13-59-11

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.

[MrModerate]

1. Yes but . . .

How many neighborhood pharmacies will it wipe out -- pharmacies much closer to their elderly customers and much more accessible?

[LynneSin]

3. The fact that it is only generic drugs, I don't think that would happen

First, the Mom&Pops Pharmacies have been a thing of the past since the increase of chain drugstores like CVS, Walgreen, Eckards, etc.

Second, and I take 2 prescription drugs - one generic and one not available in generic (Lunesta). Since I only pay $10 for my generic drug, I'm not about to waste gas to drive to my closest Wal-mart just to save $6. ANd this is especially important for those taking multiple prescriptions because most pharmacies have a record of what you purchased and can confirm there is no ill-effects from the prescriptions being used.

Knowing how poorly covered this country is, it's nice to know that someone is trying to make a difference. Low income families & seniors will definately benefit from that and who are we to criticize

[rockymountaindem]

8. Mom and pop drug stores are not a thing of the past

In Colorado, they are still the largest single kind of pharmacy.

[CBGLuthier]

15. You mean Walgreens and CVS?

I don't know what it is like in your city but every mile or so there is a Walgreens across from a CVS in mine.

I am not aware of a local pharmacy at all.

[MrModerate]

24. In my town there are several smaller pharms . . .

Along with the chains. So I'm not going to cry for CVS (which has rip-off policies), but I do worry about narrowing the base.

[pitohui]

30. hmm wipe out living breathing people, wipe out a store

i don't think there's much choice in the matter, i'll take getting cheap drugs to the people every time

these mom and pops are all republican voters anyway, they are not on our side

[LynneSin]

2. I think this is a great move on Wal-Mart's part

And I think Wal-Mart is starting to make some changes to combat the negativity associated with the Wal-Mart name. I'm still not shopping there, there is much more work to be done but it's nice to know that there is an option for Seniors and Uninsured to find some prescription drugs out there for an extremely affordable price.

[Robbien]

10. Not so fast. Wal-Mart lost generic business under the Drug bill

Instead of paying cash at WalMart, seniors took their Medicare perscriptions to Medicare pharmacies.

WalMart took a big hit. This is just their way of getting back some of that Senior golden business while WalMart forces generic drug companies to give WalMart huge discounts.

[ThomCat]

4. It's the same tactic they frequently use.

Subsidize certain products or certain locations to drive the competition out of business. Monopolize the business. Decimate the local economy. And leave the local governments to clean up the mess.

Big Pharma isn't going to be taking the hit for this. They aren't discounting name brand drugs. Only the generic manufacturers and the neighborhood pharmacies are going to take the hit.

[pooja]

5. yeah, mass medication for the mass people....keep on snoozing

sheeples. Wouldn't it come via Walmart.

[LynneSin]

17. Mass Medication that helps keep my stepfather alive

That man eats more fiber and low-cholesterol food than anyone I know and he still can't get a normal cholesterol reading. Without his cholesterol medicine, his arteries would pretty much turn solid.

Cholesterol medicine along with High Blood Pressure medicine are very common with our seniors. I'd rather they go to Wal-Mart and get a $4 prescription than to sacrifice taking their medicine and putting themselves at risk

[dsc]

23. sadly cholesterol drugs won't be on the plan

[acmejack]

6. It's cheaper than the VA!

Especially with the VA going up to $15 for copay and they use generic on everything they can. Currently the copay is $7/Rx.

[sandnsea]

7. PR on the backs of the working poor

I can understand seniors and the disabled liking this program, but it's really just another sick divisive ploy by these rat bastard corporatists. What are their own employees supposed to do - and how much MORE are these drugs going to cost the rest of us who can't afford the horrendous cost of insurance. In short - it's bullshit.

[Perky]

11. It not a co-pay they are offering these generics at $4 -- insurance or not

Hardly bullshit in my mind.

[sandnsea]

13. Not for me

For starters, I don't even have a Walmart within 60 miles so I'll always have to pay the higher prices that will be charged by others to make up for the Walmart prices. Second, once Walmart bankrupts another batch of companies, they'll be free to set prices any way they want. It's a short term political stunt that is just going to make us more dependent on the corporatists - a different kind of communism - oh yeah, fascism.

And people fall right in.

*sigh*

[LynneSin]

14. So you're basically saying "fuck the seniors and low-income folks"

I'm not about the jump on the Wal-mart Bandwagon but I see this as a positive move forward that will bring immense benefits to families on low-income and seniors having to deal with the new prescription plan and the 'donut hole' (after $2000, they have to pay out of pocket until they get to $5000).

Wal-mart has a hell of alot more to convince me they are trying to make a change, but I think this is a positive step forward to help alot of people out there. My stepfather is on a host of medications and is very worried about hitting that donut hole. Perhaps if the Wal-mart near him was offering the $4 generics he could get his cholesterol medicine from Wal-mart instead of adding it to his Prescription plan and pushing him closer to that donut hole.

And as for putting other business out of business - who? CVS? Eckerds? Walgreen? The only pharmacies around me are all associated with one of the major chains. Hell my local Happy Harry's here in Delaware (an institution I might add) is now part of the Walgreen chain (but they're keeping their name because of the high recognition it gets in our state).

I'm thinking that perhaps the pressure we're applying to Wal-mart including the fact that so many of us are boycotting them is taking a toll and they're realizing that there are things they can do to help out. If that's with selling $4 generics then so be it - I know I wouldn't go there, one of my prescriptions isn't generic (Lunesta) and I wouldn't want to be setup in 2 different pharmacies. But I'm not going to snub my nose at people who can really benefit from this!

[sandnsea]

19. Is it limited??

Because I had thought that originally, but wasn't sure I got that part right. If it is, then that means it's going to hurt the people who need help the most - the uninsured who won't be able to afford the non-generics as those prices go up or the prices at other pharmacies when they don't live near a Walmart. So I'm NOT saying fuck the seniors and low-income, I'm saying they already are getting help - what about the rest of the working folks who don't qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. We're the ones dying out here. This is just more smoke and mirrors that is going to prevent real health changes from occuring.

[LynneSin]

20. The only limitation right now is you need to be in the Tampa area

From what I've read, you don't need a insurance plan in order to buy the drugs for $4, just a proximetey to a Wal-Mart and a prescription for Generic drug.

It's not an all-encompassing solution to the high rising cost to prescription drugs. But it's also good to know that if this plan goes countrywide, our seniors won't have to break pills in half in order to make their meds last longer especially those that are readily available in prescription formula like Cholesterol & High Blood Pressure medicines

And I will say this much, I know how the Pharmas reformulate their prescription drugs when the original loses its patent. I've been taking Wellbutrin and originally I was prescribed the 300mg. Well when I found out the 300mg had no generic and was going to run me close to $40/month (with insurance), I did a bit of research and found that there was generic Wellbutrin at 150mg and I could just take 2 of those a day.

[sandnsea]

21. This sort of thing will end universal health

They're implementing $40 health clinics in all the big box stores too. Once they do both, we can kiss real health reform goodbye. The corporatists can say the free market works and the working poor will still be bankrupted any time they have more than the flu. Consequently they still won't be able to see a doctor until it's too late. Whatever. I'm used to getting the short end in this country. Not surprised.

[LynneSin]

26. There are $40 health clinics in my town

Trust me, I'm going to my regular doctor. Nothing wrong with the clinics but I have the patience of a gnat.

But again, as I've said before - at least it's something but we'll fight harder for even more

[blm]

9. Would they have done it if big name Dems hadn't been riding

their ass for the last year? I don't think so.

[LynneSin]

16. And you know what, they need to keep riding it too

This is a small step in the right direction. Perhaps if we keep pressuring them they'll move even further in the path of finally doing good for the community and their employees.

[kineneb]

12. wouldn't use WalMart pharmacy

no matter what the savings. We moved our perscriptions to another pharmacy when WM never would have the meds ready. We always had to wait 40 min or more, no matter when the perscription was delivered. Our guess was so we would look around and buy more of their crap. The service was bad and the cashier at the pharmacy must have had the IQ of a turnip, because she never could get things right.

Hubby gets his meds through the dialysis clinic's in-house pharmacy now. I have to give bonus points to DaVita Corp. for actually trying to help their clients/patients.

[LynneSin]

18. You have options

too many people don't

I feel like I'm harping on this but there are people who could be helped with this.

[susu369]

22. "Our guess was so we would look around and buy more of their crap"

You win the prize for best understanding, IMHO.

There's a word for companies drawing customers in with a cheaper product so they will buy other items. My poor old brain will not let me get to the file where that word is stored.

I was listening to a WalMart spokesman on NPR who was saying they (WalMart) heard stories about mothers who had to choose between buying antibodies for their children or food and WalMart wanted to do something to help them.

Yeah....right.

[pooja]

25. Let's examine how Walmart is able to provide $4.oo medicines.

Then let's examine why pharmaceutical companies cannot do the same. I know research, research.. but they make billions of dollars. I doubt they are going to go broke by producing medicines that aren't new discovery and are easy to mass produce.

Also, lets examine why we need all these meds in the first place? Why are people so unhealthy? Overworked, overstressed, un-healthy diet, no exercise.... Your body is a machine... the organs all act together. Its hard to eat and use safe products (no thanks to the FDA). You are what you eat rings very true. I'm not trying to preach. Its hard when it is more expensive to eat properly. But it is less costly in the long run.

[Perky]

28. It is just like the $1.00 Movie

You lure the people in the dorror with something they want at a low cost and then you soak them with $8.00 popcorn and $3.00 Cokes.

They can afford this because they have immense buying power and people like to wander around their store and by other stuff while they are there. The other stuff...the extra suff...the needless stuff subsidizes the loss on the druge..

You go in for a $4.00 drug and you waks out with $20 worth of conspicuous consumoption.

[Cleita]

33. Good advice for younger people. Unfortunately old people

need their meds. Their chronic diseases are very specific. The drugs don't necessarily cure but relieve symptoms so that they can be more comfortable.

[zulchzulu]

27. Here's the Walmart Game

1. Get you to like Walmart again

2. Go to Walmart with the intention of getting generic drugs, but the service sucks. You are told that it's so popular now to get drugs there and that they are very sorry. Perhaps you can shop around and come back in a half hour. So you load up on other crap you don't need and then come back for the drugs. The pharmacy is probably located at one end of the store so that you have to walk through a lot of sections, kind of like a casino where the restaurant is.

3. It puts local pharmacies and places like Walgreens out of business

4. After the local economy is scorched of any other choices except Walmart, they raise the prices.

5. You lose. Your local economy loses.

[pitohui]

29. wow good for them

this could make an incredible difference in quality and even length of life for a lot of us

i well remember my days when my prescriptions went unfilled and i dappled in unsafe/untested herbs instead in desperation for lack of money -- now even the unsafe/untested herbs are too expensive and they didn't work anyway

[Bozita]

31. Lowest generic prices are at Costco ... all over America, not just Fla

take a look...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2193512

[Dem2theMax]

35. Costco prices are amazing. My elderly parents save a bunch by going there

and I do too. Can't beat it. One prescription that I take would cost $70.00 in a 'regular' pharmacy. That is for 30 pills. At Costco, I get 50 pills for $9.66. For the EXACT same drug! If I wanted to splurge, I could get 100 pills for less than $12.00.


And I REFUSE to walk across the street from Costco to Walmart. I don't care if they charge $1.00 for generic meds. I will NEVER set foot in their stores.

[pitohui]

36. there is no costco in my state

costco is only in rich areas, unfortunately poor people are the ones most likely to have to do w.out drugs if we can't get them at low cost, rich people will just skip a dinner out

[Cleita]

32. I guess you don't understand that this is what they are doing...

to undermine every other pharmacy in the area. Of course senior citizens will benefit. WalMart will also benefit. I wonder what cut they are getting on the "D" Medicare benefit and how their employees will be undercut in benefits to help pay for it?

In the meantime when they put everyone else out of business and they control the market, believe me the prices will go up again. I hope everyone who can boycott this will, like those of us who have boycotted the Medicare "D" benefit.

[FUGW]

34. It's a loss leader, it's what medicad part D should be.

[LynneSin]

37. BTW - Target is going to do the same thing too

Good, at least if I need cheap drugs I can go to Target instead