Free or low-cost prescription drugs are always appealing, particularly in tough economic times, whether you have health insurance or not. There's no sense in paying any more for a prescription drug you need than is necessary.
There are a handful of reasons why stores offer these low prices:
- Good will: Most of these stores are well known and appreciated in their communities because they do community-focused and customer-focused things. You'll shop there because you appreciate their recognition that you need help paying for these drugs.
- Loss leaders: Loss leaders are items that large numbers of customers need, and will seek lower prices for. Milk or bread or ground beef are often loss leaders. The market prices them very low, knowing they can make up the difference because you'll buy other things when you shop there.
- Future business: By offering you a very low price for one drug, they have the opportunity to entice you to move other, regular, more expensive prescriptions to their pharmacy, too. They'll make more money on the additional prescriptions. This is particularly useful to the store when they can entice families with children (thus the prenatal vitamins.) If they can encourage families with children to shop regularly at their stores, then their business grows by three or four or more people at one time.
The bottom line is that they want your business. Antibiotics, prenatal vitamins and generic drugs aren't large expenses to them, so they can risk that small investment to gain a customer who will return that money to them many times over.
See below for a list of places you can find those free or low-cost prescription drugs. Unless otherwise noted, the free and low-cost drugs listed here are generic drugs.
If the drug you've been prescribed is not listed below, and you lack health insurance or meet certain income parameters, you may qualify for prescription assistance.
These lists will never be complete, or completely current. However, I'll try to keep it updated as new information becomes available. If you have new or revised information, please feel free to send me an e-mail and I'll update the listing.
(updated 4-6-2009)
Free Prescription Drugs
You'll need to double-check the guidelines with each of these stores. You'll need a doctor's prescription to obtain these free drugs. Some offer limited quantities, others have end dates for their offers. You'll need to coordinate the name of the drug with your doctor's office to be sure your prescription is written for the appropriate drug.
Free Antibiotics:
A note about all antibiotics (free or not): Remember that overuse of antibiotics is one reason we have so many problems with superbug infections now. Had we not been taking antibiotics for every little sniffle all these years, we would not have so many deaths from hospital-acquired and other life-threatening infections. My word of advice? Ask your doctor to make the recommendation. Don't tell your doctor you need an antibiotic.
<i>(As of April 1, many free antibiotic programs have ended. I'll update this list when they restart next winter.)</i>
- Market Street Pharmacies (Texas) offers 60 different antibiotics (up to 30-day supply).
- Meijer Stores (Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky) offers some antibiotics for free.
- Publix Supermarkets (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina) offers 7 generic antibiotics (14-day prescription).
- Reasor's Foods / Pharmacies (Oklahoma) offers a 10-day supply of 7 different antibiotics.
- Schnuck's Pharmacies (Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Mississippi, Iowa) offers a 21-day supply and prescribed refills for 7 types of antibiotics.
- United / Amigos Supermarkets (Texas) offers 60 different antibiotics (14-day supply; may be refilled).
- Wegmans (New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland) offers 9 antibiotics (14-day supply; new prescriptions or refills) through April, 2009.
- Market Street Pharmacies (Texas) -- 30-day supply, 11 months of refills
- Marsh / O'Malia Supermarkets (stores with pharmacies in Indiana and Ohio)
- Meijer Stores (Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky)
- Minyard / Carnival / Stack 'n Save (Texas) -- one-month supply, plus refills
- Top Food / Haggen / Larry's Market (Washington State and Oregon)
- United / Amigos Supermarkets ( Texas) -- 30-day supply
Don't see what you need listed here? Be sure to check out Prescription Assistance Programs and Discount Prescription Drug Cards.
Low-Cost Generic Drugs
Each of these stores has different rules and guidelines for its programs. Some require an enrollment fee. They all change their formulary on a regular basis.
Before you go looking for these low-cost drugs, check with your insurance company (if applicable). In some cases, the cost of getting your prescription through your plan may cost less than using the below resources.
- CVS / Caremark (nationwide) offers 90-day supply of hundreds of generic drugs for $9.99, plus 10% off at Minute Clinic -- their in-store walk-in clinic (not in Florida.) This pricing requires paying an enrollment fee of $10 per year to participate.
- K-Mart (nationwide)offers a 90-day supply of more than 100 generic drugs for $15.
- Kroger (Midwestern States) -- $4 for a 30-day supply, or $10 for a 90-day supply for this list of generic drugs; many other drugs also offered at greatly reduced prices
- Target (nationwide) -- 30-day supply for $4, or 90-day supply for $10 for several hundred generic drugs; prices may be higher in CA, MN, MT, PA, RI, TN, WI, and WY
- Walmart / Sam's (nationwide) -- 30-day supply for $4, and 90-day supply for $10 (several hundred generic drugs). Not available in ND. Prices may be higher in CA, HI, MN, MT, PA, TN, WI, WY.
- Wegmans (northeast) -- $4 for 30-day, and $10 for 90-day supplies on hundreds of generic drugs with a Shopper's Club card.
Don't see what you need listed here? Be sure to check out Prescription Assistance Programs and Discount Prescription Drug Cards
