Reports Reuters: Wal-Mart to sell $4 generic drugs in 14 more states
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said on Thursday it would begin selling $4 generic prescriptions in 14 additional states, including New York and Texas, speeding up the roll-out of a plan that has put pressure on rival retailers.Wal-Mart said the $4 program covers a 30-day supply of 143 different drug compounds, representing nearly 25 percent of the prescriptions it currently dispenses in pharmacies nationwide.
The program, launched in Florida last month, will be available in an additional 1,264 stores throughout Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Vermont.
Ok, so help me out here: am I supposed to love Wal*Mart because it is helping to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, or am I supposed to hate Wal*Mart because they are using their market position to force competitors to lower prices when their competitors may not wish to do so?
It is all so confusing.
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As someone on the production side (not drugs, but organic produce), I loathe Walmart. They are known for their predatory purchasing practices, and the organic industry is not exactly cheering that Walmart is jumping on our bandwagon. Sure, more consumers buying organic is what we all want. But the giant buyer–buying only from giant producers and forcing prices way down–could put a lot of existing smaller and more dedicated organic producers out of business. The organic standards themselves could be watered down.
I say, buy LOCAL produce, preferably also organic. But always LOCAL, whenever you can!
Comment by MSS — Thursday, October 19, 2024 @ 4:28 pm
The problem you should have with Wal-Mart is that they feed of most of their employees like a vulture.
Comment by Talmadge East — Thursday, October 19, 2024 @ 6:39 pm
I hate walmart. I support higher prices and more waste of resources.
Hold on. Never mind.
Comment by Rob M — Thursday, October 19, 2024 @ 7:19 pm
The Sam Walton portion of the story is portrayed as another episode of the American Dream. It may be. In my town, the first Wal-Mart had signs plastered all over the store displaying “American Made”. That was good until you looked at the labels. I left. It might have been 60 Minutes or a similar program who first outted the foreign sweat shops fostered by Wal-Mart. If true, I found it disturbing. Like most kings of the hill there are many bad stories about Wal-Mart. But if they are burying the competition fairly, by just doing better, I can’t condemn it, but I don’t have to like it. But then, I don’t shop at Wal-Mart and never have, save a short period when my daughter convinced me to try Sam’s Club. That didn’t last.
You shouldn’t hate Wal-Mart, but you can still find some of their practices as less than sporting.
Comment by Stanford Matthews — Thursday, October 19, 2024 @ 8:04 pm