ShopKo pharmacies jump onto $4 drug bandwagon.Byline: Tim Christie Christie can refer to:
ShopKo, the middle-tier big box retailer, has joined the ranks of pharmacies This article is a list of major pharmacies (also known as chemists and drugstores) by country. Australia Pharmacies in Australia are mostly independently-owned by pharmacists, often operated as franchises of retail brands offered by the three major following Wal-Mart's lead by selling certain generic prescription drugs prescription drug Prescription medication Pharmacology An FDA-approved drug which must, by federal law or regulation, be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription–eg, finished dose form and active ingredients subject to the provisos of the Federal Food, Drug, for $4 for a month's supply. Wisconsin-based ShopKo is using its four Oregon pharmacies, including two in Eugene, as a test market for the program, said Greg Ahmann, the company's vice president of pharmacy pharmacy, art of compounding and dispensing drugs and medication. The term is also applied to an establishment used for such purposes. Until modern times medication was prepared and dispensed by the physician himself. In the 18th cent. . "Quite a stir has been raised (by Wal-Mart) and we want to get in there and see what we can do with it," he said Wednesday. ShopKo will follow Wal-Mart's list of 143 generic drugs generic drug, a drug sold or prescribed under the nonproprietary name of its active ingredients or under a generally descriptive name rather than under a brand or trade name. in 314 formulations, he said. Ahmann said he hopes the program proves to be a winner both for consumers and for ShopKo. Offering more affordable drugs may encourage more consumers to do a better job of getting their prescriptions filled and taking them as prescribed pre·scribe v. pre·scribed, pre·scrib·ing, pre·scribes v.tr. 1. To set down as a rule or guide; enjoin. See Synonyms at dictate. 2. To order the use of (a medicine or other treatment). , he said. And if they do a better job of getting their prescriptions refilled, that will drive more business to ShopKo, he said. "If we can please a customer and make them a loyal ShopKo customer, we feel we can grow our overall business," he said. The Green Bay-based chain operates pharmacies in all but one of 138 stores, he said. Wal-Mart, the retail behemoth behemoth (bē`hĭmŏth, bĭhē`–) [Heb.,=plural of beast], large, fanciful primeval monster, like Leviathan, evoking the hippopotamus mentioned in the Book of Job. based in Arkansas, started the trend of $4 generics in early October in Florida, then expanded the program into 14 states, including Oregon, two weeks later. Several of its competitors, most notably Target, quickly began offering similar programs. Other big pharmacy chains, such as Walgreen, declined to match the program, saying their prices already are competitive. Locally, Eugene-based Bi-Mart said it would match the $4 price for any uninsured customers seeking a generic drug offered by Wal-Mart. Fred Meyer, the Portland-based store owned by the Kroger Co., isn't offering $4 generics, but will continue its price match policy, spokeswoman Melinda Merrill said Wednesday. "If someone comes in with a prescription that is available at the $4 price somewhere else, we will match that," she said. The Eugene Costco is going Wal-Mart one better - one penny better, to be precise, pharmacy manager Dan Ramirez said. They'll sell any generic on Wal-Mart's list for $3.99 for a month's supply, he said. They also sell a 100-day supply of many drugs at an even steeper discount, he said. For example, 100 pills of a 20-milligram dose of generic Prozac sells for $10.86. Independent pharmacies An independent pharmacy is a retail pharmacy that is not directly affiliated with any chain pharmacy, such as CVS/pharmacy, Walgreens or Eckerd. However, owners of independent pharmacies will often form alliances with other independents and use their power in numbers to bargain for have been critical of the Wal-Mart program, saying it will provide minimal benefit to consumers because of the limited number of medications being sold for $4. The $4 generic trend appears to be a positive one for consumers, but it remains to be seen if it has legs, said Earl Lui, senior attorney in the West Coast office of Consumers Union, the nonprofit A corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without shareholders and without a profit motive. Nonprofits are also called not-for-profit corporations. Nonprofit corporations are created according to state law. publisher of Consumer Reports magazine. "It's hard to argue with $4 generics," he said. "Consumers Union in general thinks generics are probably underused. I think what Wal-Mart has done is good to get generics out there in the public eye. We'll have to see how this plays out in the longer term." |
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