Interesting - Walmart's new approach to generics

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Moxxie

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From http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060921/ap_on_bi_ge/wal_mart_health_care

By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO, AP Business Writer

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. 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.

What do you guys think about this? Sure, this will help some people out, but what about all the people on maintenance meds that have yet to go generic? Are doctors going to be more pressured to switch to generics because of the huge price difference? This is definitely going to put some pressure on the big chains like Walgreen's and CVS.

Members don't see this ad.
 
They will just defer the cost to the name brands. This is a band-aid tactic.
 
What do you guys think about this? Sure, this will help some people out, but what about all the people on maintenance meds that have yet to go generic? Are doctors going to be more pressured to switch to generics because of the huge price difference? This is definitely going to put some pressure on the big chains like Walgreen's and CVS.[/QUOTE]

Well, in general I'm not sure if it would be a bad thing for the MD's to be more pressured to write generics.
I'm sure a lot of us have experience with physicians who write whatever brand is the lastest drug rep to walk through their door.

In terms of pressuring the chains - absolutely. I'm a CVS employee, and I can tell you that we are already losing business to Wal-mart. In my area, the base CVS fill price for cash is $10.99. Now, how do I compete with $4 per fill? We won't, and I think it will put us in the difficult spot (not that this doesn't already happen) of having lots of patients who are getting multiple meds from multiple pharmacies, and none of the pharmacies will have the total patient profile. I see this as a major patient safety issue.

I'm interested to see what other people think - let's keep this thread going.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
That is interesting. $4 will not cover the pharmacy's true cost to fill the prescription. I wonder how the other chain pharmacies will respond. The profit margin in pharmacy is razor thin.
 
In the first paragraph it says "Metsormin, a popular drug for diabetes." How credible is a writer if they can't spell METFORMIN?
 
In the first paragraph it says "Metsormin, a popular drug for diabetes." How credible is a writer if they can't spell METFORMIN?

Pointing out a typo is just the least anybody's worries right now.... You're missing the whole point about the HUGE Problems Walmart will cause....
 
No offense to WalMart employees or WalMart pharmacists... but WalMart is gross. As a consumer, it takes more than a couple dollars' savings on a generic drug to get me into a store, and a lot more than a few bucks to get me continue to be a customer there. The fact remains... WalMart doesn't have a drive-thru, so as "unique" as this ploy may seem, I don't think there'll be as much of a flood of transfers out to WalMart.

Also, there's no mention of the real generics being offered for $4. Antihypertensives, probably. Antihistamines, sure. Birth control? Probably not. High dollar statins? I'd bet no.

Here's a question for those not in mass retail community pharmacy... do you do price matching? At my pharmacy (one of WalMart's major competitors), we would price match and take a loss to ensure that we can continue to provide pharmacy services to that patient. Seems to me that things like convenience, service, and innovation are what will keep people out of WalMart.
 
Pointing out a typo is just the least anybody's worries right now.... You're missing the whole point about the HUGE Problems Walmart will cause....

Yes I'm completely aware of that. I'm not missing any points, just trying to lighten things up. It's ok to relax every now and then.
 
I got 2 patient today who came up to me and asked for a transfer to Wal-Mart. I told them that this won't take in effect for some time. However, they didn't care. They wanted the meds to be transfered STAT. I think this is Wal-Mart's way of killing the mom and pop pharmacies out there. Wal-mart is one evil empire!!!!!!
 
I agree that this will only hurt the mom & pop shops. Walmart is rolling this out in the Tampa Bay area because of the high number of elderly and uninsured people here. Also, most seniors just got into the donut hole.

Here's a list of all the meds they are discounting, though it varies by store.
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/09/21/discounted_drugs1.pdf
 
You may notice that all the medicines are either antibiotics or geared towards seniors. They also didn't discount any controlled drugs, which many of them are dirt cheap, too. It's sort of like how they don't stock certain music CDs that they find offensive. I hate Walmart.

There's a Walmart in every small town in Florida. My husband and I play a game. If we see a crappy, 1980's vintage sedan, we call "Walmart!" and see if they turn into the parking lot. We're almost always correct.
 
I think it is obvious that they are adopting a lost leader mentality for thier generics to gain all the scripts that the elderly people are on. Most people won't go to more then one pharmacy and the average elderly person is on 6+ medications.

Here is something to consider: IF this works for Wal-mart and IF the expected flood of buisness comes to those pharmacies, how does Wal-mart plan to staff them and how do they plan (logistically) to handle the surge. We have all been in Wal-mart and for the most part the pharmacies are already crowded.
 
I went to Wal-mart to buy some pseudoephedrine, and I stood in line for 15 minutes. The pharmacy was severely understaffed, and then, the receipt tape ran out. They did not have any extra. When I reached the front, the tech did not understand that I did not want extended release, but wanted regular pseudoephedrine. It took a while for him to realize what I wanted. Where I grew up, a Super Wal-Mart is going to opening 2-3 miles away in October. That is going to impact local business a lot.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I think it is obvious that they are adopting a lost leader mentality for thier generics to gain all the scripts that the elderly people are on. Most people won't go to more then one pharmacy and the average elderly person is on 6+ medications.

I think its even less obvious...in MBA school we did case study similar to this situation. Walmart is willing to lose money on ALL of its meds b/c it is betting while people are there, they'll pick up napkins, sodas, or one of the other million things they sell. They will look at the entire pharmacy as a loss leader (and probably treat the pharmacist and techs as such), but are banking the increase in sales elsewhere in the store will more than offset the pharmacy losses. This is already in practice at the nearby Costco's.

Walmart's move will pretty much be the deadly blow to mom and pop's pharmacies, which have already been running a tight margin already. When we call in scripts for pt, I honestly can't remember calling a locally owned pharm, it's always CVS, Rite-Aid....etc. People just want one-stop shopping where they can get all their shopping done.
 
Target To Match Wal-Mart's $4 Prescription Drugs

(AP) Minneapolis Minneapolis-based Target Corporation says it will match Wal-Mart's lower prices for generic prescription drugs in Florida's Tampa Bay area immediately.

Target is the country's Number two discounter behind Wal-Mart, which plans to begin selling nearly 300 generic prescription drugs to employees and consumers for four dollars a prescription -- covering up to a month's supply.

Wal-Mart's test effort begins tomorrow in the Tampa Bay area, with hopes to take the program national over time.

Target hasn't said if it will continue to match Wal-Mart prices as Wal-Mart expands the program to other areas. But Target said in a news release that it's long-standing practice is to be price-competitive with Wal-Mart.

http://wcco.com/local/local_story_264215914.html
 
Is what Wal-Mart is doing legal? I remember when I did a rotation there, the pharmacy manager said that they were bound by laws protecting the price of medications unlike Sam's Club and Costco which aren't bound by mass merchandiser laws. Therefore they couldn't sell items that much cheaper unlike Sam's Club. Thus Sam's Club sells all of their medications sans insurance lower than chains, which is a pain for price matching.
 
That is interesting. $4 will not cover the pharmacy's true cost to fill the prescription. I wonder how the other chain pharmacies will respond. The profit margin in pharmacy is razor thin.

1. Most walmarts have no drive thru
2. Most generics (30 day supply, common dosage) are bought so cheap that other chains will probably be able to compete.
3. Again, most walmarts have no drive thru🙄
 
Looking at the list posted, that 300drug list is BS. There are a lot less drugs just lots of strengths. I mean, they slap amox in there in like 10 strenghts and forms and call it 10 drugs. Alot of those drugs are never used like pindolol, thoridazine, and captopril.

In buffalo NY, i dont think it will have a big effect because nearly everyone is on medicaid or insurance. Medicaid gets you free drugs and insurance for the most part has copays <5$ for these. Wal-mart is gay
 
Looking at the list posted, that 300drug list is BS. There are a lot less drugs just lots of strengths. I mean, they slap amox in there in like 10 strenghts and forms and call it 10 drugs. Alot of those drugs are never used like pindolol, thoridazine, and captopril.

In buffalo NY, i dont think it will have a big effect because nearly everyone is on medicaid or insurance. Medicaid gets you free drugs and insurance for the most part has copays <5$ for these. Wal-mart is gay
My thoughts exactly

lisinopril 5mg
lisinopril 10 mg
lisinopril 20mg
lisinopril 40 mg

hey! that's 4 drugs right there! give me a break
 
There's a Walmart in every small town in Florida. My husband and I play a game. If we see a crappy, 1980's vintage sedan, we call "Walmart!" and see if they turn into the parking lot. We're almost always correct.


Im so sorry we all cant be as elitist as you with nice cars, an inground pool, and a big house. 👎
 
2. Most generics (30 day supply, common dosage) are bought so cheap that other chains will probably be able to compete.
We were talking about this at my rotation site today and looked up a 30-day supply of metformin in the computer. Our cash price is $20, but our acquisition cost is only $2. Yes, other chains should be able to compete to some degree.
 
Are they really selling acyclovir 200 mg for only $4.00? I am so there!! What about generic for Vicodin and Xanax? How come they are not on the list? I don't think I want to tell an anxious drug addict that his Vicodin is not $4.00. = (

I think the profession can seriously benefit from this. Just imagine processing an Rx without third party! Thank you Walmart!
 
I think its even less obvious...in MBA school we did case study similar to this situation. Walmart is willing to lose money on ALL of its meds b/c it is betting while people are there, they'll pick up napkins, sodas, or one of the other million things they sell. They will look at the entire pharmacy as a loss leader (and probably treat the pharmacist and techs as such), but are banking the increase in sales elsewhere in the store will more than offset the pharmacy losses. This is already in practice at the nearby Costco's.

Walmart's move will pretty much be the deadly blow to mom and pop's pharmacies, which have already been running a tight margin already. When we call in scripts for pt, I honestly can't remember calling a locally owned pharm, it's always CVS, Rite-Aid....etc. People just want one-stop shopping where they can get all their shopping done.

I agree with your position that chain retail pharmacy is a lost leader. It is there to increase foot traffic. And...actually, the time waiting is factored in...to allow for increased shopping time. That is a basic economic business model for retail operation. That is exactly how Rite Aid, Walgreens, Longs, etc...all operate. The pharmacy is at the back for a purpose!

When I had my econ class in pharmacy school...it was at the beginning of "discount malls" - you know - where they sell "seconds" of a major name brand. It was predicted then & has actually evolved in real life that they will only function in areas which either are underserved by retailers or poorly served (this can be presenting merchandise which does not appeal or is priced outside the population standards). Where I live....the closest "discount mall" is 50 miles away & not very busy.

In my own area....very few patients are uninsured - they have employer's insurance, Part D, or Medicaid/Medicare dual eligible. Even at $4/30 days that is more than they pay - most of them pay $3 for 90 days or my privately insured patients take medications not on the list.

We have no drive-thrus here so that is not a factor in my area....

But...an interesting concept nonetheless! It will be interesting to see it evolve.
 
This is going to be intersting how the plays out politically, but in the end Wal-Mart wins big in the PR department.

Here's the problem for anti-Wal-Mart activists: Typically the anti-Wal-Mart people are also the same people complaining about the price of scripts in the US. They also complain that Wal-Mart puts mom and pop out of business. So here's a time where Wal-Mart is offering significant savings on prescriptions that will undoubtedly have a negative effect on mom and pop stores (and even most of the chains). And according to the Wal-Mart CEO they aren't even doing this as a loss leader. They're doing this through their logistics prowess and technological advances (watch the "Age of Wal-Mart" on CNBC sometime to see what I'm talking about).

This in an example of how Wal-Mart (and similar ventures) are good for our economy and good for our citizens' standard of living. In the long run efficiency and productivity are what drive an economy and lead to better lives, not mom and pop stores that have nostalgic appeal.
 
I am wondering if Walmart is going to charge $4 for these drugs regardless of the quantity dispensed per month. For example, patients that take 30 metformin 500 per month vs. 120 metformin 500 per month. I am just curious if there is a cap that Walmart has set where the dosage must be below some cutoff to qualify for the $4 price.

In my area simply getting in and out of Walmart is impossible. If this change ever reaches us, I'm sure some of my customers would leave, but after a few experiences with the inconvenience, I bet many would come back.
 
This in an example of how Wal-Mart (and similar ventures) are good for our economy and good for our citizens' standard of living. In the long run efficiency and productivity are what drive an economy and lead to better lives, not mom and pop stores that have nostalgic appeal.

Good for our citizens' standard of living? Efficiency? Productivity? Don't be so quick to put Wal-Mart on the pedestal. I won't deny that Wal-Mart may have done some positive things for the communities that their stores are in, however, I suggest you do some homework and look into the slew of lawsuits that have popped up against Wal-Mart in recent years regarding labor law violations.

Wal-Mart treats their employees like crap. I used to work next to one and the stores I heard were astounding. People were forced to punch out before 40 hours to avoid overtime yet were forced to keep working (for threat of losing their jobs if they left). Managers instructed employees to sign up for Medicaid instead of attempting to get the joke of a health insurance plan Wal-Mart offered. And when managers got busted, they only pointed the finger at their superiors. I hardly see what benefit that brings to the lives of their employees.

So yes, I agree with you. This is a good PR move, however I feel like Wal-Mart is just trying to save face from its tainted past.
 
Im so sorry we all cant be as elitist as you with nice cars, an inground pool, and a big house. 👎

Give me a break. After you've been making 100k a year for at least 10 years, come back and see if your attitude has changed. My guess is that it will.

Walmarts are rampant in semi-rural communities. They have plans to have a Walmart every 5 miles in the county where I live. I just don't see it as a good thing. What I liked about my town was being able to go down the street to Harvey's Hardware Store instead of a monster Home Depot. Little by little, these places are disappearing. Now, the mom & pop drug stores will be doomed, too. I don't think it is a good thing.
 
Good for our citizens' standard of living? Efficiency? Productivity? Don't be so quick to put Wal-Mart on the pedestal. I won't deny that Wal-Mart may have done some positive things for the communities that their stores are in, however, I suggest you do some homework and look into the slew of lawsuits that have popped up against Wal-Mart in recent years regarding labor law violations.

Wal-Mart treats their employees like crap. I used to work next to one and the stores I heard were astounding. People were forced to punch out before 40 hours to avoid overtime yet were forced to keep working (for threat of losing their jobs if they left). Managers instructed employees to sign up for Medicaid instead of attempting to get the joke of a health insurance plan Wal-Mart offered. And when managers got busted, they only pointed the finger at their superiors. I hardly see what benefit that brings to the lives of their employees.

So yes, I agree with you. This is a good PR move, however I feel like Wal-Mart is just trying to save face from its tainted past.
This isn't true at all wal-marts. I've worked at a few Wal-marts as an intern and I saw very different things. People would get written up if they didn't take their HOUR lunch break within 6 hrs of working. They also had to take a 15min break every 4 hrs. My friends who worked at CVS and Wags over the summer were lucky to get a 30min break. Meanwhile I got my hour and never felt overworked. I took my breaks in the breakroom with the rest of everyone else and I never heard them complain about breaks. Maybe it depends on the area.
 
This isn't true at all wal-marts. I've worked at a few Wal-marts as an intern and I saw very different things. People would get written up if they didn't take their HOUR lunch break within 6 hrs of working. They also had to take a 15min break every 4 hrs. My friends who worked at CVS and Wags over the summer were lucky to get a 30min break. Meanwhile I got my hour and never felt overworked. I took my breaks in the breakroom with the rest of everyone else and I never heard them complain about breaks. Maybe it depends on the area.

I didnt say I didnt disagree with some of the practices of the chain retail pharmacies...I'm just saying that those lawsuits dont speak favorably of the way that Wallyworld treats their employees.

Especially if they're class action suits.
 
1. Most walmarts have no drive thru
2. Most generics (30 day supply, common dosage) are bought so cheap that other chains will probably be able to compete.
3. Again, most walmarts have no drive thru🙄

Mine has a drive through, but it's really weird. We have one of the largest super wal marts in the state, so it's rather large. The drive through is AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE STORE than the pharmacy. You can't see anybody come to the window or anything. You just say your name through a speaker and out pops a script. I think it's crap and they're ruining the idea of pharmacy as being a caring, helpful profession
 
not mom and pop stores that have nostalgic appeal.

I work at a Mom and Pop store and have for 4 or so years. We do more about twice as many a day than the CrapMart. Any you know why?!?!?!? Because people LIKE the nostalgic appeal. People like good service. And most of all, people like not having to wait 3 hours to get 12 Zofran. (That happened to me)
 
This isn't true at all wal-marts. I've worked at a few Wal-marts as an intern and I saw very different things. People would get written up if they didn't take their HOUR lunch break within 6 hrs of working. They also had to take a 15min break every 4 hrs. My friends who worked at CVS and Wags over the summer were lucky to get a 30min break. Meanwhile I got my hour and never felt overworked. I took my breaks in the breakroom with the rest of everyone else and I never heard them complain about breaks. Maybe it depends on the area.

That is true. Wal-Mart is the only chain pharmacy I know of which guarantees breaks for their pharmacist. If only one pharmacist is on duty, than they will close the pharmacy for a half hour. I believe they close between 1:30pm and 2pm, in that case.
 
We did the same at Rite-Aid. I worked for them for about a year and a half before I got my job with a mail order pharmacy. We would close down between 11:30-1:30 for about 15-25 minutes pretty much every day. Tried to keep it to a minimum so we wouldnt have Dr. offices call in RXs all at once. Them seem to all want to call them in when we are at lunch 🙂

As for Wal-Mart offering generics good for them! I am a big proponent of AB rated generics being offered in the place of brand. Actually we always sub a AB generic whenever the Dr. does not write a DAW on the RX or call it in that way. You wouldn't beleive how many times a day I have to talk to people and advise them that the only thing that might be different in that generic is the inactive ingredients anyway. Binding agent, dyes, whatever. On a rare case you might have someone that is allergic to a dye, but mostly people just think they are inferior. Kudos to Wal-Mart for taking a step forward. This country needs better prices on its meds.

We do the same at our mail order pharmacy. We have a list of meds that we are in contract with where we offer specific amounts for flat prices. For instance 90 Fluoxetine 10mg (prozac) for $15.00. I remember at Rite-Aid we would sell that stuff for about $20.00 for 30.
 
This is going to be intersting how the plays out politically, but in the end Wal-Mart wins big in the PR department.

Here's the problem for anti-Wal-Mart activists: Typically the anti-Wal-Mart people are also the same people complaining about the price of scripts in the US. They also complain that Wal-Mart puts mom and pop out of business. So here's a time where Wal-Mart is offering significant savings on prescriptions that will undoubtedly have a negative effect on mom and pop stores (and even most of the chains). And according to the Wal-Mart CEO they aren't even doing this as a loss leader. They're doing this through their logistics prowess and technological advances (watch the "Age of Wal-Mart" on CNBC sometime to see what I'm talking about).

This in an example of how Wal-Mart (and similar ventures) are good for our economy and good for our citizens' standard of living. In the long run efficiency and productivity are what drive an economy and lead to better lives, not mom and pop stores that have nostalgic appeal.

Someone really drank the walmart/republican kool-aid! :laugh:

Wal-mart is definetly not doing this for altruistic purposes as they and yourself are making it seem to be. If anything, this will be a real generator for India's economy. Don't believe me? Check out the generics on the shelf and see where they are made.
 
This in an example of how Wal-Mart (and similar ventures) are good for our economy and good for our citizens' standard of living. In the long run efficiency and productivity are what drive an economy and lead to better lives, not mom and pop stores that have nostalgic appeal.

Walmart's ploy is NOT good for the economy. They are simply doing the same thing they always do... taking a hit so they can drive off competition then jack up the prices later.

Someone really drank the walmart/republican kool-aid!

Also, because Walmart's ploy is NOT good for the economy, the idea that republicans would support this kind of behavior is absolutely ridiculous.
 
Someone really drank the walmart/republican kool-aid! :laugh:

Wal-mart is definetly not doing this for altruistic purposes as they and yourself are making it seem to be. If anything, this will be a real generator for India's economy. Don't believe me? Check out the generics on the shelf and see where they are made.

I never said they are doing it for altruistic purposes. Few business transactions in a capitalistic ecnonomy are done for alruicstic purposes. The irony is that doing things this way actually leads to better lives for Americans. Efficiency and productivity gains may sting in the beginning, but over the long term it's always for the best. People may choose to go to a "mom and pop" pharmacy for the service or shorter wait. That's fine. It's their choice, and it's their money. But Wal-Mart is offering a significant savings to those who don't mind waiting a little longer. Most likely it's going to cause mom and and pop to offer either better service or slightly cheaper prices with the same service level. That's competition, and competition is good for the economy.

Grandma who has 10 scripts will most likely save some money, and I'm willing to bet she's going to wait an extra 20 or 30 minutes to save that money. If she wants to go down the street and spend an extra 50 bucks a month then that's fine, but having the option to spend less for the exact same product shouldn't be ridiculed. I guess my question to those who think this is a horrible development is: Are you willing to tell Grandma that she should have to spend that extra 50 bucks a month?
 
Has anyone made the connection yet that the timing of this coincides with the number of Part D medicare participants who are now falling into the "donut hole".....and that this is occurring primarily in FL - the Medicare haven of America!!!!

I don't think this was a new thing at all....they had figured this out welll ahead of time - when the part D plan would fall apart & the older folks would be having to pay full price until they hit their $5000.

It just shows how far behind the other retailers on in anticipating what will happen just a few months ahead. This is marketing - plain & simple marketing. They have done their jobs well....they have analyzed well what Plan D will & won't do & they have predicted well when the affected folks would be most affected & timed their product to coincide. How can you fault that for marketing????

I cannot! I don't feel its the best pharmaceutically....but...my employer chose not to be proactive...so - too bad for them. Just because Walmart spends more on its business analysts than it does on its employees doesn't mean they aren't serving a population which now finds itself paying full price because they got sucked into a poorly designed & implemented plan (Medicare Part D).
 
Has anyone made the connection yet that the timing of this coincides with the number of Part D medicare participants who are now falling into the "donut hole".....and that this is occurring primarily in FL - the Medicare haven of America!!!!

Yeah, I noticed. Look at my earlier post (#10).
 
Thank God there are others that share my feelings on Wal-Mart!!! I don't even want to go off on a tangent about "Supercenter USA"... did anyone happen to see Family Guy last night???
A big supercenter comes to town and shuts down all the small stores. And Goldman the pharmacist is boarding up his shop!!! Comes at a convenient time 🙂 haha it was pretty funny!
But shutting down the small stores is just part of the reason I can't stand Wal-mart! We all think we're getting a great deal by shopping there but news flash! You're paying for your cashiers health insurance too- it's called MEDICAID!!!! How is it the number #1 retailer has the shottiest health coverage of ANYONE?
I agree with whoever said WalMart is "gross". It sooo is!
However, I don't judge those who shop there or make assumptions based on the cars they drive. It doesn't make sense for the average consumer to pay more money somewhere else for the same product when they are just trying to make ends meet. They are really left with no choice. If you make $100,000 for several years than you can afford the luxury of paying a little more for your convenience. Some people can't afford convenience.
But don't be fooled! WalMart is not always cheaper. Several items I shop for (smartchoices frozen dinners) are quite a bit more expensive (30% or so). There are other examples too...
I agree that WalMart has developed a very crafty marketing scheme and while it will be good for the consumer short term, it just supports the bad guy and the cycle continues. WalMart will eventually set all prices for all items and determine what consumers will buy because of the bullying power their buyers have with companies that provide the product.
Now before my blood pressure goes up I think I'll go study for my quiz on the Health Care Crisis at 1pm. 🙂
 
What do you guys think about this? Sure, this will help some people out, but what about all the people on maintenance meds that have yet to go generic? Are doctors going to be more pressured to switch to generics because of the huge price difference? This is definitely going to put some pressure on the big chains like Walgreen's and CVS.

I am a little late to the action here, but here goes nothing.

Looking at the list posted, it appears to be about 130-140 drugs depending on how generous you are with counting different dosage forms. (I was not)

What people are not realizing here is that WalMart already sells most of these drugs for very similar to these prices right now at their Sams Club stores. Costco does the same thing. You can go to the Sams down the street from me here and pay 6-7 bucks for the 90 day supply of atenelol that WalMart will now sell for 12 bucks. You will pay 9-10 bucks for the lisinopril on the list that WalMart will charge you 12 bucks for. The vast majority of these drugs, when looking at a 90 day cash supply, is already priced close to the $12 that WalMart is now going to charge. Their cost on the drugs listed is ridiculously low becuase most have been generic forever. Many are not used much at all anymore.

Another thing people don't realize is that you don't have to be a member of either Sams or Costco to use their pharmacies. You just tell them at the entrance and you won't be able to ring up any sales except pharmacy sales at the pharmacy register. If you are a cash paying customer, you are already screwing yourself by not using either Sams or Costco to pick up your meds. (unless you can't get to one of course).

I don't work for Walmart, I work for the other great pharmacy evil (and love it there). 90-95% of our business is insurance where the co-pays on these products are probably pretty close to this $4/month anyways. I don't see Wags changing their pricing to match this at all. If they do though, it won't be that big of a deal because cash deals are a tiny amount of business there.

What I see is Walmart using a pretty good strategy to get more people in the stores to buy other stuff and make old people happy because they think they are actually getting a good deal there. Funny thing is they can go next door to Sams and get a better deal from a company under the same umbrella. Marketing--You got to love it.
 
Give me a break. After you've been making 100k a year for at least 10 years, come back and see if your attitude has changed. My guess is that it will.

I know after 10 years making pharmacist money im not become some snob that bases my opinion of people by their car. Sure, I probably wont shop at wal-mart but im not gonna make fun of people that do. I grew up going to wal-mart with my family in a variety of crappy cars. Its how my mom made ends meet. First your negro comment and then this makes me wonder a little. At least my family provides you with entertainment
 
I've been making over $100K over 10 years... I shop at Wal-Mart for things I need. They're great for School Supplies. How ironic... people judge others by cars they drive to Wal-Mart when the previous richest man in the US Sam Walton himself drove a beat up Red Ford F-150.

Nothing I say will change anyone on this board. But reading some of these nonsense makes me realize more money I make, more I have to becareful how I behave around others and not flaunt.
 
Publix supermarkets have now matched the $4 price, like Target. That will give people more choices. I'm wondering if Walmart counted on the other low-volume pharmacies doing this?
 
There's a Walmart in every small town in Florida. My husband and I play a game. If we see a crappy, 1980's vintage sedan, we call "Walmart!" and see if they turn into the parking lot. We're almost always correct.


Do you play that game before or after your husband's man orgy in the 100K pool?

One low blow deserves another... pun intended...
 
Do you play that game before or after your husband's man orgy in the 100K pool?

One low blow deserves another... pun intended...

Ha, Ha.

You know, my grandmother never liked the Jewish jokes that I told her. I thought they were hilarious. My dad didn't like me singing "Belsen was a Gas" by the Sex Pistols, but that was funny, too.

I take the piss out of everybody, even my own kind. Sort of like Carlos Mencia. That guy is hysterical, but if a white person was doing that - they'd be racist.
 
I know after 10 years making pharmacist money im not become some snob that bases my opinion of people by their car. Sure, I probably wont shop at wal-mart but im not gonna make fun of people that do. I grew up going to wal-mart with my family in a variety of crappy cars. Its how my mom made ends meet. First your negro comment and then this makes me wonder a little. At least my family provides you with entertainment
most people that shop at wal-mart are trailer trash anyway

zpack owns the biggest trailer i've ever seen...elitest
 
Publix supermarkets have now matched the $4 price, like Target. That will give people more choices. I'm wondering if Walmart counted on the other low-volume pharmacies doing this?
where did you hear about Publix? There has yet to be any notification to the associates yet...
 
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