Meijer’s Drug Plan

Meijer Inc. (Grand Rapids, Mich.) has announced a free prescription drug program “designed to benefit at least one-half million Meijer customers at all 176 Meijer pharmacies throughout the Midwest.”

The program covers oral generic antibiotics, with a special focus on the prescriptions most often filled for children. The program includes at least one antibiotic from each of the major antibiotic classifications and more than 70 percent of the generic, pediatric antibiotic prescriptions filled by Meijer. (They are: Amoxicillin, Cephalexin, SMZ-TMP, Ciprofloxacin, Penicillin VK, Ampicillin and Erythromycin.)

Meijer’s announced came about a month after Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Bentonville, Ark.), its arch-rival in the hypermarket sector, announced its ambitious low-cost generic prescriptions program.

Meijer said its “no-strings-attached program means any customer, regardless of insurance or co-pay, can take [a] prescription to any Meijer pharmacy and receive [the] designated antibiotic free of charge. There is no card required, no membership to purchase, no minimal charges, no special forms to fill out and no fees to pay.”

Meijer studies show that 94 percent of its customers have some form of insurance coverage but still have drug-related co-pays. “Rising health care costs are having a dramatic impact on families across the country, especially here in the Midwest,” said Meijer president Mark Murray.

Meijer quoted national health experts saying that 40 percent of children who see a physician leave with a prescription.