Damn you Walmart!!!

dyslexia wrote:

However, the move may have little, if any, effect on the price consumers pay for their prescriptions. That's because most of the generics on Wal-Mart's discounted list either are not the most widely prescribed or already are heavily discounted by many health insurers.

Wal-Mart today will begin selling 30-day supplies of nearly 300 generic drugs for $4 per prescription at its stores in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. It said it plans to roll out the new prices at other Florida stores by January and to "as many states as possible" next year, though it provided no specifics.

Your statement is nearly entirely false. From the article:

Quote:

The drugs will be sold for as little as $4 for a month's supply and include some of the most commonly prescribed medicines such as Metformin, a popular generic drug used to treat diabetes, and the high blood pressure medicine Lisinopril.

That last bolded sentence contradicts your statements that it is not widely used drugs or didn't give any specifics. Sure many of the drugs may be already deeply discounted, but in my checkbook the less I have to pay the better.

As far as consumers not seeing a price difference:

Quote:

Late Thursday, rival Target Corp. said it would match Wal-Mart's prices at its stores in the Tampa Bay area.

Seems to me that competition has already lowered prices in rival target and will probably do the same soon in Walgreens. That is a price differenct that the consumers will see and will put even more pressure on the drug companies to lower their prices.

jp, I've been talking about Walgreens in the same vein throughout this thread. It isn't just Walmart, but Walmart continues to branch out into new areas of the marketplace. All big-box stores have the same philosophy, but Walmart tends to lead the way into new marketplaces and the other big-box outlets follow. I'll support a local hardware store over Home Depot, a small office supply retailer over Office-Max (if I can find one!) a local boutique over Gap, you name it... if there is a small shop-owner trying to provide local service to a community, then I will support that shop over any big-box retailer.

Yes of course jp, you're always right especially when you're wrong.

There isn't a Walmart within 50 miles of my house (Portland's strict land use laws don't favor such stores) so shopping there really isn't an option, or a concern for me. I haven't seen the effects of their business on the community where I live but I understand their impact is huge.

I do know people who "a few bucks" makes a big difference to, though and I understand why they love Walmart. The whole forest from the trees argument doesn't mean much to people when they are simply trying to survive.

I don't shop there and I probably wouldn't even if there were one handy. Still, I have a hard time denying anyone else the right to.

I'm confused by what I read in my paper today.

It says that the average Walmart savings on a 4.00 (sorry, my dollar sign doesn't work) perscription will be 20% to 90% so we're really only talking about a few dollars.

Then the article quotes someone who thinks he's going to be getting his 100.00 perscription for 4.00.

Then it goes on to say that the average generic perscription cost nationwide is 28.75. I have a feeling that the drugs that throw the curve that high will not be included in the deal.

I think a lot of people will dash into Walmart expecting their drugs to cost 4.00 and they will find themselves very disappointed.

I think the whole thing is a great marketing ploy but not really a very big deal at all.

Can your inner city clerks afford their meds at Walmart if they work at Walmart?

If such happened here in Germany, government and health insurance comapnies would be happy. The pharmacy companies, pharmacies and consumers (most people don't like generic drugs, thinking, the original are better - besides, it really doesn't matter since paid by health insurance, they think) not really.

Most health insurance in the USA, also comes with the option for drug coverage. We also have online pharmacy networks that provide another method to reduce drug cost.

However, with 65,000 prescription drugs in an average pharmacy, 300 would be of a big deal. (115,000 in my local one, since they've got to have on stock drugs for various specialist doctors located nearby as well).

If such happened here in Germany, government and health insurance comapnies would be happy. The pharmacy companies, pharmacies and consumers (most people don't like generic drugs, thinking, the original are better - besides, it really doesn't matter since paid by health insurance, they think) not really.

However, with 65,000 prescription drugs in an average pharmacy, 300 would be of a big deal. (115,000 in my local one, since they've got to have on stock drugs for various specialist doctors located nearby as well).

Oh, and those 65,000 (or 115,000) are actually in the pharmacy, I wasn't referring to the market.

65,000 - I just looked it up - is not the average but the minimum in a German pharmacy.

squinney wrote:

291 drugs out of 65,000 ... Probably the cheapest generics to begin with. Not meaning to be a pessimist, but that's piddly by comparison to the fact that all those shoppers will be walking the aisles while waiting for their scripts to be filled.

Wal-Mart didn't become Wal-Mart by giving things away. I still hate seeing one go up in place of a Mom & Pop.

ditto

another ditto

If it's a choice between Walmart and Walgreen's or other mega pharmacy chain then I don't see much difference in which one someone chooses. On the other hand, if it's a choice between a privately run pharmacy and either of the other two, I'd rather give my business to the smaller store even if I have to pay more.

The low prices don't stay low forever. Then tend to go up once the small local competition has dried up.

It's an effective business move. And Florida is the best place to start.

(I still hate Walmart.)

Jpin, it's not the lower prices that's the problem- it's the motive behind it. Walmart is not doing this to help people, it's doing it to become a pharmaceutical giant with no competition. Walmart wants to be America's communist party, no competition for your vote.

If the drug companies offered the same deal to all pharmacies that it is offering to Walmart I would be all for it, but that is not the case. Walmart is notorious for "putting the screws" on it's suppliers, destroying fair competition and basically becoming the monopoly in the marketplace. It makes for less choices in the long run. The United States of Walmart is not what we should aspire to.

Walmart stands for all the things I cannot accept.
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So I decided never to buy there; it's easy. I have never been inside a Walmart store. (or in a MacDonalds junkfood restaurant)