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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Adding to its healthy living programs, Meijer Inc. is offering prescription holders free generic medication for diabetes.
Adding to its healthy living programs, Meijer Inc. is offering prescription holders free generic medication for diabetes.
The supercenter retailer said Monday that its pharmacies will provide Metformin Immediate Release, the most commonly prescribed treatment for type 2 diabetes, at no charge to those with a prescription. The program includes 500 mg, 850 mg and 1000 mg tablets.
"Meijer is pleased to add Metformin Immediate Release to our free medication program," Effie Steele, clinical services coordinator at Meijer, said in a statement. "As our population ages, type 2 diabetes cases continue to grow. Adding Metformin Immediate Release to Meijer’s free medication program, while providing other ways to manage diabetes through the various healthy living solutions offered in our stores, reinforces our commitment to promote healthy lifestyles for all of our customers."
Meijer noted that the free diabetes prescription program joins its other healthy living initiatives to provide no-cost medicine to consumers. Three years ago, its pharmacies began offering the seven most common children’s antibiotics free, and a year later the retailer started providing free prenatal vitamins for women with a prescription.
The company said that to date it has filled more than 5 million free antibiotic prescriptions and more than 500,000 prescriptions for free prenatal vitamins, providing a combined savings to consumers of more than $90 million.
Meijer added that its move to offer free Metformin Immediate Release to prescription holders comes just weeks after Florida-based food and drug chain Publix Super Markets Inc. led the industry by announcing it would provide free Metformin prescriptions in its pharmacy.
"Our healthy living and wellness programs include everything from diabetes screenings and in-store food demos to prescription drug programs, immunizations and meal planning," stated Hank Meijer, co-chairman and chief executive officer of Meijer. "We were pleased when we saw Publix, a company we admire, make this move. We quickly looked at it and decided to do the same here in our five-state region. This is one more way Meijer can help our customers build healthier lifestyles while saving them money."
Meijer operates 191 supercenter stores with pharmacies in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.
