NEWS - Giant Food to offer free prescription antibiotics

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Giant Food to Offer Free Prescription Antibiotics

By Ylan Q. Mui

Washington Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, December 31, 2008; Page D01

Giant Food stores will give free generic antibiotics to customers with

a prescription for the next three months in what retail experts called

an aggressive move in supermarkets' heated battle for shoppers.

The company said the program, which will begin Friday and last through

March 21, covers several popular antibiotics such as amoxicillin,

penicillin and ciprofloxacin. This is the first time that Giant has

offered free prescription drugs and it did not estimate the cost or

potential popularity of the program.

" Times are tough, " said Robin Michel, executive vice president for

Giant Food, which is based in Landover. " If this is the way that we

can help most people, why not? "

The economic downturn has made it increasingly difficult for many

Americans to afford prescription drugs. An October survey by the

Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit health policy group, found that

27 percent of people did not fill a prescription in order to save

money, compared with 23 percent just six months earlier. About 22

percent reported cutting pills or skipping doses, up from 19 percent.

The pharmacy business has become increasingly competitive since

Wal-Mart began offering nearly 300 generic prescription drugs for just

$4 in 2006. Its rivals were forced to follow suit, with Giant lowering

90-day supplies of popular drugs to $9.99 this summer. According to

consulting firm Willard Bishop, pharmacy sales typically make up about

10 percent of revenue at grocery stores.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/30/AR2008123002834.\

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