Publix Announces Its Free Antibiotics Program

Publix has come up with a way to compete with Wal-Mart, K-mart and Target's $4 generic drug programs, with its new "free" antibiotic program. According to the company's press release the free prescription drug program began on August 6, and covers the following oral antibiotics:

Amoxicillin
Cephalexin
Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim (SMZ-TMP)
Ciprofloxacin (excluding ciprofloxacin XR)
Penicillin VK
Ampicillin and
Erythromycin (excluding Ery-Tab)

New or current customers simply need to provide their Publix pharmacist with their prescription, up to a 14-day supply, and it will be filled at no charge. Publix is not limiting the number of prescriptions customers may fill for free.

According to Publix, the chosen antibiotics account for almost 50 percent of the generic, pediatric prescriptions filled at Publix.

The average price for a 14-day supply of most of the chosen antibiotics runs $4 to $10.50 with the exception of Ciprofloxacin, which runs around $32.00.

The free prescription drug program is chainwide, at all 684 Publix Pharmacies.