Dr. Wal-Mart

The Columbus Dispatch: Dr. Wal-Mart

Retail giant a health-care force with $4 prescriptions, glasses, in-store clinics.

When Wal-Mart started selling generic medications for $4 for a month's supply, critics said it was just a way to lure more customers.

Six years later, that move has changed the way doctors prescribe medications and made the big-box retailer a force in the nation's health-care system.

Most chain pharmacies followed Wal-Mart's lead, saving consumers money on drug costs.

But why would a retailer that sells curtains, shampoo and shoes want to dive into the health-care pool?

"I would ask, why not treat health care the same way we treat all of the other categories of merchandise that we purchase?" said Christi Gallagher, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart.

"The $4 prescription program really got us thinking of health care in a different way, that we could really drive the cost down by working with our suppliers."

The company says it has saved its customers $3 billion in prescription costs since starting the generic program.

"Because of their big role in the marketplace, they couldn't be ignored," said Dr. David Sharkis, a primary-care physician on the North Side. "And it really has affected the way I prescribe medication. That is true, and I'm not alone." …

… "The retail health clinics have really pushed the evolution of health care and forced local systems like ourselves to think of ways to make health care more affordable and to improve our accessibility," said Dan Like, associate executive director of ambulatory services at OSU.

Wal-Mart also pairs up with local hospitals to run its clinics, which have helped reduce the nation's health-care expenses, Gallagher said.

"They alleviate the pressure on hospitals by treating people who would otherwise go to the emergency room," she said.

"We knew that we wanted to meet our customers' needs where we could, and that would be in the store."

Gee. Introducing market pressures reduces the cost of health care. Who'd have thunk it.