Publix to offer 7 popular prescription antibiotics for free

[Akoto]

Source: USA TODAY

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (AP) — Seven popular antibiotics will be available free from Publix supermarkets for people with prescriptions, even if they have a health insurance provider that would pay for them, the company and Gov. Charlie Crist said Monday.

Fourteen-day supplies of the seven drugs, among the most commonly prescribed, will be available at all 684 of the chain's pharmacies in five states. Publix said it is not limiting the number of prescriptions that customers may fill for free.

The prescription antibiotics available under the program include amoxicillin, cephalexin, penicillin VK and erythromycin.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2007-08-06-publix-free-antibiotics_N.htm

[dbackjon]

1. Mixed emotions on this

Overuse/misuse of anti-biotics is a major problem that leads to drug resistance. Yes, it is great that they are giving them away - but will this lead to over prescription?

[lisby]

2. Isn't that the same kind of argument as...

giving away condoms will lead to orgies in the streets?

:eyes:

Lisby

[JerseygirlCT]

9. No, it's a serious problem

Overuse of ABTs is causing us to fall behind in the ever-continuing battle against bacteria.

There are some pretty dangerous strains out there now, that are highly resistant to all but a very few ABTs.

Of course, the best line of defense is an informed patient, and an informed doctor, who won't write a prescription when there isn't a bacterial infection.

[NastyDiaper]

4. Maybe *because* they are free people will not short their perscription

in either dosage or duration, which encourages resistance.

[dbackjon]

5. Good point

As long as people take their full cycle of the drug, this is good.

[Ilsa]

16. There are some that seem to need a wee bit longer treatment duration for some poeple.

Even my doc has said this: that the recommended (short) duration of a couple of antibiotics is a hair too brief for some people, and they end up writing a second script. Too bad, when it would have been cheaper to begin with if they had added a couple of days of treatment.

[JerseygirlCT]

10. That's a good point, too. nt

[JerseygirlCT]

8. I was thinking the same. And as someone who is fortunate enough

to have insurance coverage, why shouldn't I pay? I'd rather they use the money that would go toward mine on someone else's other rx, you know?

[Freddie Stubbs]

11. There is no motive for doctors to overprescribe

They will make the same amount of money regardless of how many Rx's they write.

[bamacrat]

3. To me, it's good to see large business do something positive.

Especially when it comes to helping lower the cost of prescription medication. If the antibiotics are free then there is more money to buy the drugs people really need.

[RebelOne]

6. I buy antibiotics from this Web site.

You can get them with no prescription. They are the same as the human dosages.

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/cat/info/22950/category.web

[onehandle]

7. These antibiotics are priced so cheap that they might as well be free.

Now if they had a hundred thousand percent markup like most drugs, I'd be impressed.

This is pure GOP propaganda.

[Freddie Stubbs]

12. Marketing, yes. Propaganda, no.

Publix is not doing this for the benefit of the Republican Party. They are doing this so that consumers get their other prescriptions filled at their pharmacies and buy groceries in their stores.

[slackmaster]

13. It's a plain old-fashioned "loss leader"

Nothing to see here folks, move on.

BTW - Giving away prescription drugs at less than the store's cost would be illegal in some states, including California.

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. Fortunately it is not illegal in Florida

[onehandle]

15. Both. nt

[SayWhatYo]

17. How does the GOP factor into it?

It's obvious this is marketing for the store, but I'm not seeing the GOP connection here. Care to explain what I'm missing?

[onehandle]

18. Florida's Republican Governor is cited in the first paragraph of the story.

That's a pretty obvious connection.