Meijer Free Prescription Program Saves Customers More Than $500 Million

PRESS RELEASE

Meijer pharmacies marked a milestone earlier this month when its free prescription program surpassed $500 million in savings for customers. The program — a first of its kind when launched in October 2006 – has since filled nearly 40 million free prescriptions.

“Meijer is a family-owned company committed to meeting the needs of families in the communities we serve,” Jason Beauch, Vice President of Pharmacy Merchandising said in a press release. “We do this by providing positive solutions to everyday problems, which includes access to necessary medications. We are pleased this program is used by so many families across the Midwest.”

The retailer’s free prescription program helps ensure the health of families and individuals by enabling Meijer customers, regardless of insurance or co-pay, to have their prescriptions filled. The program began by covering leading oral generic antibiotics, with a special focus on the prescriptions most often filled for children. The program expanded over the years by offering free prenatal vitamins in May 2008, metformin, the most commonly prescribed drug for type 2 diabetes, in 2010, and the generic substitute for Lipitor®* (atorvastatin calcium), the cholesterol lowering medication, in 2012.

The most popular free prescription filled at Meijer has been the generic cholesterol lowering medication. In 2016, Meijer pharmacy customers filled more than 3.2 million atorvastatin calcium prescriptions, followed by more than 1.4 million metformin prescriptions, more than 1.3 million antibiotics, and more than 480,000 free prenatal vitamin prescriptions.

In addition to the free prescription program, the Meijer mPerks pharmacy rewards program rewarded pharmacy customers with more than $13 million in rewards to spend at Meijer last year.

“We’re proud that we’ve helped millions of families improve their health and wellbeing without impacting their budgets,” Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes said in a press release. “Providing these solutions for the customers who rely on our pharmacies is part of our commitment to the communities we serve.”