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Walmart Keeps Drug Program On Ahead Of CompetitorsCompetitors Will Have To Join In Like It Or Not.Research to 4-8-08 My Conclusions Harlan Jacobsen-Copyright © 2008 In 2006, the Walmart chain, first rolled out in Florida, a program to sell a long list of about 300 generic drugs for $4 a prescription. We immediately alerted our readers, that such a price cutting meant $500 or more or off your annual medications for diabetes alone.On May 7th this year, with competitors in large numbers matching their $4 Generics, (Walmart had already added 24 more drugs to the list in 2007) a further broad expansion of that list and changing the ground rules so Walmart customers can now buy a 90-day supply of any of 350 generic drugs for $10. In addition Walmart expanded that earlier $4 generic program so it now applies to more than 1,000 over-the-counter drugs, about a third of Walmarts OTC (over the counter) drugs the company sells.Some of those previously as much as $28 dollars. so this is significant. Among these, popular, include Zantac and Claritin, huge sellers as prescription drugs, now both on the Generic list. Also added was a 30-day supply of Generic drugs for osteoporosis, breast cancer, hormone deficiency and other women*s health problems that will sell for $9. This is a new category, others are not explaining, since this is a new price bracket, 30 days for $9.With a 90-day supply now available for most Generics-- Walmart is matching the length of prescription drugs the mail-order drug management companies offer. At $10 for a 90-day supply, the Wal-Mart price is below the co-pay many of its customers face if they have private or company insurance.With over-the-counter generics, many drug-benefit plans now refuse to pay for such medications, once they are no longer prescriptions. Former prescription drug example, you can buy allergy medication Zyrtec without a prescription, at a 20-tablet box for $25 or more at the average drugstore. Thus, it going off prescription and becoming a Generic helped if you paid for all your prescriptions out of pocket, since this $25 was a big drop you greatly benefited.However, previously your insurance coverd it as a prescription with you paying a low co-pay. Now with the discount programs (all participating competitive stores such as Target) same price of 90 days for $10 even beats out your former co-pay. Wal-Mart has a new explosive, rock the health care world, in April, it opened the first of its walk-in health clinics in stores in Atlanta, Dallas and Little Rock, Ark.These new walk in health clinics are set up as a joint venture with local hospitals will build and ad to. and be an upgrade for the almost 80 clinics already in place in other Wal-Mart stores around the country. Walmart has 400 of such co-branded clinics on the drawing board for being operational by 2010.
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