While everyone is debating how to improve the American healthcare system, Wal-Mart is doing something about it.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, announced Monday it would expand its discounted prescription drug program to offer 90-day supplies for $10 and add several women's medications at a discount. It also said it would lower the price of more than 1,000 over-the-counter drugs.
The move marks the third phase of a company program that began in 2006 to provide a 30-day supply of generic prescription drugs for $4. The Bentonville-based company said the program has saved customers more than $1 billion.
With the expansion, the company began filling prescriptions Monday for up to 350 generic medications at $10 for a 90-day supply at Wal-Mart, Neighborhood Market and Sam's Club pharmacies in the U.S. Almost all the prescription generics in the company's $4 program were included in the expanded $10 offer, said Wal-Mart senior vice president John Agwunobi.
Competition works in everyone's favor. Any changes the government makes to healthcare regulation should be designed to increase competition in the marketplace, give consumers more options, and loosen restrictions on healthcare providers that drive up cost. Let healthcare providers compete like Wal-Mart does, and we'll all reap the benefits.
The problem with supermarkets selling aggressively priced drugs is that pharmacists get run out of business. That would be fine if it were the case that pharmacists only supply drugs but at a higher price; however pharmacists are an excellent source of advice and expertise which can greatly ease the burden on GPs caused by minor complaints, and which are generally more available and convenient for customers. Walmart won't employ experts in any quantity, so that resource simply gets lost.
Just saying how I've observed it go from England. The pharma setup might be so different in America that the English example is irrelevant.
Stores in America aren't allowed to dispense prescription drugs if there isn't a pharmacist on duty. I personally think this is just a jobs-protection conspiracy between doctors, pharmacists, and the government, but that's just me :)
I think there's a world of difference between the small pharmacist where you actually have easy access to the main guy, and the supermarket pharmacy where the fella's behind the scenes working away.
When I was a kid I did some vacation work at an indie pharmacy, so I may have been indoctrinated by the owner's point of view. I have very little direct experience as a pharmacy customer, as I'm rarely ill. But I watched him give a large amount of advice and attention to customers without them having particularly to ask for it, it seemed like a one of those things that you benefit from without realising it or.
I think there's a world of difference between the small pharmacist where you actually have easy access to the main guy, and the supermarket pharmacy where the fella's behind the scenes working away.
When I was a kid I did some vacation work at an indie pharmacy, so I may have been indoctrinated by the owner's point of view. I have very little direct experience as a pharmacy customer, as I'm rarely ill. But I watched him give a large amount of advice and attention to customers without them having particularly to ask for it, it seemed like a one of those things that you benefit from without realising it.
What kind of advice did he give out that you couldn't get from your GP when he prescribed the drugs?
Nothing, he was just more available, more convenient, and non-threatening to people who are phobic about seeing doctors etc.
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