Wal-Mart Stores on Thursday announced plans to expand a generic prescription drug discount program introduced last month to 12 additional states, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports (AP/Houston Chronicle, 10/26).
Wal-Mart last month announced that the program -- under which some company pharmacies would sell 30-day prescriptions of certain generic medications for $4 -- would initially include 65 Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Neighborhood Market pharmacies in the Tampa, Fla., and would expand statewide in early 2007 and possibly to other states in the future. Earlier this month, Wal-Mart expanded the program statewide in Florida and later announced plans to expand the program to Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Vermont (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 10/20). According to the latest announcement, Wal-Mart will expand the program to Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Dakota and Virginia. Wal-Mart officials said that the company plans to expand the program to additional states as soon as possible (AP/Houston Chronicle, 10/26). Target officials said that company pharmacies will match the prices for generic medications offered by Wal-Mart pharmacies. Walgreen and CVS officials said that company pharmacies currently sell generic medications included in the Wal-Mart program at a price of $5 or less. On Tuesday, BJ's Wholesale Club announced a program under which company pharmacies will sell 30-day prescriptions of certain generic medications for $4 (Lopes, Washington Times, 10/26).
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