Free antibiotics available at three large supermarkets

[Midlodemocrat]

until the end of March.

Giant’s continuing through March 21, 2009
Wegmans offer runs until March 31, 2009
ShopRite's until March 28, 2009



During the cold and flu season.

The program covers up to a 14-day supply of the generic oral antibiotics listed below. There are no limits on the number of prescriptions that can be filled, and it includes both new prescriptions and refills. The stores' pharmacies are offering FREE antibiotics, as long as you have a prescription from your health care provider. At Wegmans, you need to have a Shoppers Club card. At ShopRite and Giant’s, no membership is necessary. Wegmans estimates that the program has the potential to save its customers (across all market areas) approximately $1 million.

The covered prescriptions at Wegmans include:


Amoxicillin
Cephalexin
Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim
Ciprofloxacin
Penicillin VK
Ampicillin
Tetracycline
Erythromucin Stearate and Ethylsuccinate
Doxycycline Hyclate (capsules)

The covered prescriptions at ShopRite and Giant’s are:

Amoxicillin
Ampicillin
Bacitracin
Cephalexin
Ciprofloxacin
Doxycycline
Erythromycin
Penicillin VK
SMZ-TMP

[blue_onyx]

1. Meijer also offers 14 days free

I actually just had a prescription for an antibiotic filled there last week.

[SacredCow]

2. We have none of those stores around here....

Doesn't affect me much, though- I'm allergic to just about all of the ones mentioned....

[Midlodemocrat]

4. None here either.

But the Kroger nearby just extended their $10 RXs to 90 days for generics. I take two generics, so that is good news. My co-pay would be $20 at CVS.

[zagging]

3. You can get all the free antibiotics you want

With a purchase of any dairy or meat product.

[SoCalDem]

29. droll²

:rofl:

[3waygeek]

5. Publix has been doing this

for quite a while now; seems that every other week I see it mentioned in their newspaper inserts.

[Warren DeMontague]

6. Not to rain on anyone's parade, but colds and flu are viruses.

Antibiotics won't do diddly.

[Robb]

7. Yes

...but you become more likely to contract bacteriological infections when your immune system is pummeled by a virus. :shrug:

[Warren DeMontague]

9. Makes sense.

I do know that over-prescription of antibiotics is a widely considered problem with regards to the encouragement of drug-resistant strains of bacteria, but that is not intended as a criticism of making them available free to people who need them this time of year, of course.

And I remember, for instance, from various trips to Mexico that you can buy them in pharmacies OTC down there, so I'm not sure how much point there is to getting wrung out about it, in any case.

[4 t 4]

8. That is so nice

this should be all over the news do you know how many families this will help with sick kids that can't afford antibiotics right now I bet a more than we can imagine. Very helpful good for them

[zagging]

10. It doesn't say anything about cold or flu

[Warren DeMontague]

11. Actually, it says "During the cold and flu season."

Like I said- I'm not saying it's a bad thing, it just bears repeating that antibiotics won't help those two things.

[Midlodemocrat]

12. Unless there is a secondary infection.

Sinus infections are rampant when folks get colds/flu. There is also a tremendous amount of strep going around.

[Warren DeMontague]

18. I made one point and one point only.

i.e. cold and flu are viruses.

[Midlodemocrat]

19. Um, the point is that the antibiotics are free during the

cold and flu season. People do come down with other things ya know.

:eyes:

[Warren DeMontague]

23. Jesus F-ing Christ.

I made one point. Colds and Flus are viruses. I repeatedly said I thought the free antibiotics were a good thing. Sorry for interjecting facts into the discussion.

[Midlodemocrat]

24. Wow. Who pissed in your cheerios?

And, your 'facts' were not even remotely germane to the OP. :eyes:

[Warren DeMontague]

27. 1) did you put 'facts' in quotes on purpose? Do you dispute them?

2)Actually, they are 'germane' to the OP, because the OP said 'during cold and flu season'.. given the low general knowledge of science in the American Public, I think it's relevant to mention that, yeah, that's great BUT colds and flus are viruses. (And, antibiotics are overprescribed as it is- this is a widely acknowledged problem that leads to development of drug-resistant strains)

3) Who pissed in my cheerios? I make one little 'fact'-ual statement- colds and flus are viruses and won't respond to antibiotics- and several people invariably go all flappy-armed and bugfuck, seemingly looking for a fight, like I hate free medicine or some such shit.

4) There is this weird tendency in some of these threads where anyone who interjects a viewpoint even remotely- I won't say contrary, but even perpendicular to the apparent intended direction of the thread- causes some sort of mass freak-out. Believe me, Wegmans isn't going to stop doing free antibiotics because of anything I say on DU, okay? Threat contained. What, exactly, was this thread supposed to look like, before I upset the ideological homogenity? A whole shitload of posts going "Yay Wegmans!"? Okay, Yay Wegmans. Happy now?

5) :eyes:, yourself.


edit: Wegmans, not Krogers.

[schmear happens]

22. So right you are...And don't forget that antibiotics can upset the intestinal flora

and give people (especially women, it seems) nasty yeast infections that are hard to wipe out!

As a matter of fact, I was reading where pediatricians are now not so quick to prescribe antibiotics for babies with ear infections. They note that these things usually clear up on their own.

[schmear happens]

25. And antibiotics can create superbugs, which are very dangerous...

Also, I am wondering if all these flu vaccines made available causes a mutation last fall. I had (as others on DU reported, as well) a MONSTER flu (I rarely get flus) with a scary respiratory thing. It came back AGAIN weeks later and took forever to clear!:scared:

[zagging]

31. I missed that

It is misleading.

[NNN0LHI]

17. No but it sure will help with complications that can arise from the cold and flu

Like pneumonia and other maladies that can kill you.

Don

[HamdenRice]

21. Actually anti-biotics do 2 things. Already pointed out, the prevent or treat bacterial infections

which are often a complication of virus infection. When you start out with a cold or the flu and in a week or two you get that foul smelling yellow or green snot, that's often a secondary bacterial infection, which can be quite dangerous, because that's how pneumonia develops.

More mysteriously, anti-bacterial anti-biotics have a small positive effect on viral infections, but no one has been able to explain why. It's one of those drug actions that work even if we don't know why.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

30. tis is true

but what happens is this....

once you get a nasty virus that attacks the lungs - you CAN then get something called pneumonia which is treated with antibiotics - I have had pneumonia 3 times --- all stemming from getting a common cold or flu. I would have killed little old ladies for their antibiotics.

[melm00se]

13. on one hand

a good thing

on the other:

Do we really need more antibiotic Rx's? Antibiotic resistant bacteria can be directly traced to over prescription of antibiotics

[Midlodemocrat]

14. Yeah, we do. Otherwise, people die.

And my husband had a MRSA pneumonia in October. If not for antibiotics, he would have died.

[RebelOne]

15. You can buy antibiotics at this Web site.

They are all human strength and cheap. I buy Tetracycline through them quite often.

www.thatpetplace.com/pet/cat/info/22950/category.web

[RebelOne]

26. No prescription needed for these and they are prescription strength. n/t

[tomreedtoon]

16. You'd still need a doctor's prescription.

And the cost of obtaining that (unless you're a good forger) would more than outweigh the savings. At $150 a shot at a walk-in clinic, and two to three times that for a "regular" doctor, there's no point.

[Midlodemocrat]

20. So your solution is to charge the patient for the antibiotics

AND the doc's visit? What exactly are you saying? :shrug:

[tomreedtoon]

28. I'm saying YOU CAN'T WIN.

They - are you so dumb that I have to explain who THEY are? - will get you one way or the other. If you get free antibiotics, you still need to pay for a $150 doctor visit to get the scrip. If you get free medical care, they'll find some reason you have to pay $200 for the antibiotics.

If you forbid Wall Street bastards from getting "bonuses," they change the name to "gifts" and the game goes on.

Don't you get it? You can't win. GIVE UP.