Something good to say about Wal- Mart

[Stuart G]

Lots has been said about this corporation and much of it is true. Almost all of what has been said has been negative and that is true too.

I would like to mention something positive.

Four or five years ago, Wal-Mart decided to take on the practice of charging outrageous prices for generic drugs. National drugstore chains (you name them) had been racking up huge profits from generics that were once very reasonable. Fifteen years ago, generics were a great bargain. Gradually the national chains increased the price to the highest that the market would possible pay. In the process the drugstore chains increased their profits at the benefit of those who needed the lower priced generic drugs.

Wal-Mart came up with a group of generics that they marketed for ...four dollars a month.
The national chains had to follow. In the process, Wal-Mart has saved the nation's consumers hundreds of millions of dollars at the pharmacy.

Sure, Wal-Mart has negatives. but here is a positive. This should be mentioned too.

Thanks for reading this.

Stuart G.

[bluestateguy]

1. That is good

But they have a long ways to go before they can earn my business again.

[gateley]

2. When they began that practice, people I know who had been unable to afford

their meds could begin taking them again. Regardless of the motivation (and I have to believe profit which is what they're in business for!), the winner was the consumer in this case. :thumbsup:

[Romulox]

3. What makes anyone think that cheap Chinese drugs from Walmart

are of any better quality than the cheap shit they sell in every other department of the store?

I, for one, do not trust Walmart to vouch for the safety of these generics.

[gateley]

5. I'd guess the other large chains would have exposed them if that had any

merit to it -- after all, Walmart's policy was taking money out of the competitors' pockets, I think they'd fight back if they could.

[Romulox]

7. Er...you have more faith in the ability of the market to regulate itself than do I.

"after all, Walmart's policy was taking money out of the competitors' pockets, I think they'd fight back if they could."

On the contrary, Walmart style "competition" is a race to the bottom in which cheap products of inferior quality chase superior products from the market.

This is especially true where consumers have "imperfect" information--such as to the efficacy of drugs.

[gateley]

10. I don't have faith the the market to regulate itself -- yikes! It was pure profit

and competition that prompted my comment. Thinking that those who were making bigger profits would eliminate the competition. Just a thought. I may be wrong but it certainly wouldn't be the first time.

[laughingliberal]

20. I have to say if the drugs are in this country, they have met some basic level of safety

Not a defender of Walmart but I did have to buy an Rx there last year cause I had to have it and they were the cheapest. I had an infection which put me in real danger of losing my hand. The infection cleared up just fine and I still have my hand.

[Romulox]

32. "FDA Scrutiny Scant In India, China as Drugs Pour Into U.S."

FDA Scrutiny Scant In India, China as Drugs Pour Into U.S.


India and China, countries where the Food and Drug Administration rarely conducts quality-control inspections, have become major suppliers of low-cost drugs and drug ingredients to American consumers. Analysts say their products are becoming pervasive in the generic and over-the-counter marketplace.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/16/AR2007061601295.html

I'm glad you got better, btw!

[bobbolink]

37. So, then we have a problem with the FDA, NOT WalMart....

[Romulox]

47. Two arms of the same monster.

:shrug:

[bobbolink]

35. Then lets lobby to raise the prices so a large number of people can't afford medications.

:shrug:

[Romulox]

46. We could make them nearly free if we omitted the active ingredients...

Clearly, there must be some minimum standard for quality, regardless of the cost... :hi:

[ret5hd]

4. My master stopped beating me for a whole week!

What a good master I have.

[upi402]

6. Exactly, a dog gets used to his chain.

This is not a benevolent corporate master. Don't project your virtues on these fucks OP.

[fascisthunter]

38. .

[sharesunited]

8. This is a called a loss leader in the retail business.

It's to get customers into the store to sell them other things.

The benefit lasts as long as it takes to put competitors out of business.

Then they jack the prices up.

Wal-Mart is a publicly traded company. Own their shares and vote them in the public interest.

[liberal N proud]

9. Wal-Mart is the king at that

Wal-Mart doesn't do anything unless there is a promise of a bigger payoff.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

14. This is called "Drive Independent Pharmacies Out of Business"

And it's working just fine.

[Tailormyst]

11. Without it there would be no Peopleofwalmart.com and I would be sad.

[old mark]

12. I get ALL my prescriptions from Walmart, and NONO of them are

"cheap Chinese drugs". They are all US companies, even the generics.
People tend to piss all over Walmart just for fun, I guess, with little or no truth required.

mark

[Bobbieo]

19. I get all of my scripts from Wal-Mart and they go out of their way to help me.

I could not ask for better service or quality.

[tosh]

29. Care to back that up with some facts, Old Mark?

US companies? Really?

[old mark]

33. The 2 meds I am looking at are from Merck and Forrest, both US

companies. The generic drugs are from TEVA, from Israel.
Maybe you should try finding some facts instead of "common knowledge".


mark

[tosh]

39. "They are all US companies, even the generics. "

And yet, "The generic drugs are from TEVA, from Israel." Many generic companies are non-US and many US generic companies repackage drugs manufactured by other generic companies. To me, it is not "common knowledge". I am in the business.

Really, though, I didn't mean to sound so contentious. I don't usually do that.

Peace.

edit sp.

[old mark]

43. Many US companies purchase ingredients from China, too....

So what. They still charge too much.
FWIW, one of my generic meds -for which I pay $8 a month at Walmart-replaced a US made drug for which I paid over $150 a month. I'm quite happy with that since I am on a fixed income and buy my own presecriptions.

mark

[Hugabear]

13. Wal-mart can go fuck themselves and their cheap shit

The way they treat their employees should be criminal.

[madmom]

18. I used to be an employee of Walmart...

I would go back in a second if I could. Was treated much better there than the previous jobs I held in other grocery stores, made better money too. :shrug:

[muffin1]

40. I'll bet their Chinese employees wish they could say the same.

They make almost nothing,and frequently live with 10-15 other slaves in a single room with one floor fan.

Watch "Walmart - The High Cost of Low Prices". I doubt you'll feel the same afterward.

[madmom]

44. I could say the same about cheap imported cars.

[bobbolink]

48. And to hell with poor sick people, too.

[Land Shark]

15. Wal-Mart and Executive Branch can do ANYTHING THEY WANT because both have positives

Or, maybe there are some lines that just can't be crossed. Ya think? I'll bet ya'll agree.

[LeftyMom]

16. It gives the tweakers and rednecks someplace to go so I don't have to deal with them. nt

[Cleita]

17. Except they didn't do this out of the kindness of their hearts.

They did it as a loss leader so that the mainly senior citizens who benefitted from this would spend the rest of their social security checks in the store on other things while they were there.

[laughingliberal]

21. Using loss leaders is pretty typical among all retailers

Not defending Walmart but using loss leaders is older than me and that's old.

[goldcanyonaz]

22. We get our dogs medication whenever he needs it from Walmart, excellent prices.

[catnhatnh]

23. My 2 Meds hit $120 a month...

on disability when I had to drop the $90 one. When I told the doctor he switched me to generics and I went to Walmart at $8 a month about two years ago...savings so far over $2400 and perhaps my life since my BP was once again in the danger zone without the second med. Oh yeah, the excess I blew on food and heating bills so no bonus for Wally...but I am definitely grateful they started the program.

[SalviaBlue]

24. Walmart's MO is to lure you in with super low prices

and then putting all other providers of what you are buying out of business. The only provider that can survive is the one that will deal with Walmart. Eventually, you have no choice but to buy from Walmart and then you are at their mercy price wise.

I NEVER shop at Walmart. However, I have noticed fewer choices at the stores that I do shop in. Walmart affects everyone.

[Broke In Jersey]

25. good point but...

I should still be able to by my perscription drugs overseas instead of making the drug companies rich off of the American consumer.

[Gman2]

27. Why the fuck should you HAVE to go overseas, to not be gouged?

Screw that wimpy workaround. Go straight to the point. YOU, PHARMA had better stop the practice of elevating Us prices, or we will make you suffer.

[Broke In Jersey]

28. good comeback but....

HOW would you 'make then suffer'???? Pass a law for price controls??? Unconstitutional. I don't see any legislation (in the past or talked about for the future) that will make them lower prices.

Buuuuut...if you allow the US consumer to buy drugs overseas....boy would you see the pharma's in this country bring their prices down!!!

[Gman2]

30. There are PLENTY of ways to make an industry suffer.

Taxes, regulation, prohibitions, documentation. Accreditation, scrutiny. Inspection. Where to start?

[Gman2]

26. They had to. It was a sop for having no HC for emps. Just like they signed on for

allowing their parking lots as emergency gathering places. They are just maintaining the happyface in our minds. Also, they were allowing us to see how it would be better if we all had HC. It was subversive. That said, they have saved countless lives. My one med, of five, was 120 a MONTH. nOW, IT IS FOUR. aND i AM ABLE TO DO THAT AT vON'S. At least Walmart has some corporate guilt. More than wall street.

[ThomWV]

31. There is one other thing and this is ultra important - lose a kid in a Wal Mart and see what happens

Let's say you are in a crowded Wal Mart and your child strays. You panic because you can't find the child. You find the closest Wal Mart employee and you tell them your kid is missing. See what happens more or less instantly. Wal Mart sets the standard for shutting down, locking up, and finding the child - and no one goes in or out of any entry to the store until they do or the cops say different.

[Liberal_in_LA]

34. wow. n/t

[bobbolink]

36. Another good thing WalMart does....

is to have a national policy of allowing campers to stay overnight in their parking lots. As a matter of fact, there is a website that shows the status of each parking lot.

This has been of benefit to homeless people who can safely park and sleep at night, where they can't find anything else.

Now, if you think WalMart is so horrible that NOBODY SHOULD BE PARKING THERE, then go ahead, by all means, and establish good alternatives in YOUR area.

Even CHURCHES don't offer this sort of service for homeless people!

AND, from what I've seen, the people who work in WalMarts which get homeless people, treat them/us with kindness.

I know that many "progressives" will grump no matter what, but this is something that has probably saved lives.

[Touchdown]

41. The closest Wal-Mart for me is 10 miles away. That's good.

Too far for me to bother with.:hi:

[Horse with no Name]

42. Yeah they should be applauded for selling things

at only a 50% margin of profit instead of 1000% like they normally do.
Go Wal Mart!:eyes:

[blondeatlast]

45. CostCo beat them to it, but apologize for them anyway. It's your perfect right. nt