Wal-Mart’s $4 Generic Prescription Program Now Statewide

Two weeks after their initial launch at 65 Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and Neighborhood Market pharmacies in the Tampa area, Wal-Mart has rolled out the program statewide, effective Friday, October 6th.

The program has expanded to include 314 generic prescriptions available for up to a 30-day supply at commonly prescribed dosages. The list of $4 prescriptions now represents nearly 30 percent of prescriptions currently dispensed in the 235 Wal-Mart, Neighborhood Market and Sam’s Club pharmacies throughout Florida.

As a reminder on the details that we shared with you September 29th, key components of the program include:
o The $4 pricing will be available to all pharmacy customers with a prescription from a doctor that can be filled with a covered generic medicine
o This program will be available to the uninsured
o Insurance will be accepted
o The program presently covers 314 generic medications from many of the most common therapeutic categories
o The medicines represented are used to treat and manage conditions including allergies, cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. Some antibiotics, antidepressants, antipsychotics and prescription vitamins are also included
o Wal-Mart intends to take the program to as many states as possible next year

The program provides a solution for the nearly 2.7 million uninsured Floridians who may also avoid filling prescriptions and remain untreated. Wal-Mart estimates that the program will save the state’s Medicaid program hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

At this time, the $4 prescriptions are not available by mail order and are available on-line or by telephone only for in-person pickup. Not all generics in each therapeutic category are included.

An example of how this works with the insured’s copays is as follows: If a member has a copay at $15 and they obtain one of the 314 designated drugs, then their cost share would be $4.

For a list of available generic prescriptions, please click here.

Since the Wal-Mart list is not all-inclusive of the thousands of generics on the market, we strongly encourage our members to present their member ID card to the pharmacist so their prescriptions are processed online to ensure they receive the best prices negotiated by BCBSF.

For further information on the program including store locations, customers can call 1-800-WAL-MART, go to www.walmart.com, or visit their Florida Wal-Mart, Neighborhood Market or Sam’s Club to discuss the program with their pharmacist or pick up a brochure explaining program details.

Source: Breaking News from Blue