Prescription Drug: Walmart's $4 Plan

Today Walmart announced an attractive '$4 per prescription for a 30-day supply' scheme for people with insurance and also those without coverage. The orders have to be made online and then picked up in-store. Walmart's idea for $4 prescriptions came from an earlier in-house program to provide $3 co-pays for Wal-Mart workers.

For the time being, the retailer is starting the program tomorrow in its Tampa, FL area stores, but will expand to more states in 2007. The announcement even rattled the Wall street and roiled the stock prices of generic drug wholesalers and pharmacy chains.

If Walmart can lure people to their stores with such a good deal on generics, the customers may as well buy other things from the retailer while coming to collect the drug. It would thus be good for the retailer giant as well as average consumers.