Wal-Mart extends $4 drugs to Hawaii

The discounted drugs now are offered at all of its U.S. pharmacies

BENTONVILLE, Ark. » Wal-Mart Stores Inc. yesterday added Hawaii and 10 other states to its generic-drug program, making the discounted prescriptions available at all of its U.S. pharmacies.

A month's supply of 331 types of generic drugs will sell for $4 each, Wal-Mart said.

Wal-Mart expanded the program to California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Retailing rivals such as Target Corp. and BJ's Wholesale Club have launched similar programs. Wal-Mart's latest expansion of the program, which the retailer began in Florida in September, came a week after Target said it would extend its own program to all of its pharmacies.

In Hawaii, Wal-Mart does not compete against Target or other retailers against which it does battle on the mainland.

Local competitors with pharmacy operations include Longs Drug Stores Corp. and several grocery retailers.

Longs Drug spokeswoman Farra Levin said the company does not comment on competitors' announcements.

"We don't have anything to announce," she said yesterday.

Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, introduced the program in September in Tampa, Fla. The company had planned to expand outside of Florida in January. Later it said it would accelerate the rollout and include all states that have Wal-Mart pharmacies. It has no pharmacies in North Dakota.

Target, the second-largest U.S. discount chain, began matching Wal-Mart's $4 prices, and last week said it will offer a $4 generic prescription-drug program, effective immediately, at all 1,287 of its pharmacies.