PLEASANTON, Calif. — In what may be becoming a trend in the Mid-Atlantic states, two more chains are making a seasonal pharmacy offer of free antibiotics.

Safeway's pharmacies in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia, and Washington, D.C., will run a program through March 31. ShopRite Pharmacies of Wakefern Food Corp., Elizabeth, N.J., will offer a free 14-day supply of commonly prescribed generic oral antibiotics.

The drugs in the ShopRite program include: amoxicillin, ampicillin, bacitracin, cephalexin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, erythromycin, penicillin VK, and SMZ-TMP.

Giant Food, Landover, Md., Stop & Shop Supermarket Co., Quincy, Mass., and Wegmans Food Markets, Rochester, N.Y., have initiated similar programs.