Kroger kicks off generic drug discount program

The Kroger Co. has launched a new program that enables pharmacy customers to get a range of generic prescription drugs free or at a discount.

Called the Rx Savings Club, the program was developed with GoodRx, an online prescription drug price comparison service, and is being rolled out to Kroger Co. pharmacies nationwide this month.

The club offers more than 100 common generic drugs in three tiers of savings, depending on the medication: free 30-day/90-day prescriptions, $3 30-day/$6 90-day prescriptions and $6 30-day/$12 90-day prescriptions. Over 1,000 other generics also are available at a discounted price under the program, which Kroger said provides up to an 85% savings.

To access the Rx Savings Club pricing, customers must sign up for the program, which carries an annual fee of $36 for individuals and $72 for families. Up to six people are covered under one family membership.

Kroger noted that the Rx Savings Club is part of its Wellness Your Way initiative, which provides customers a range of personalized health, wellness and nutrition tools, services and programs.

"Kroger is redefining the customer experience by introducing new Wellness Your Way offerings like the Kroger Rx Savings Club," Colleen Lindholz, president of Kroger Health, said in a statement. "Kroger operates nearly 2,200 pharmacies, serving millions of customers across America. Our new partnership with GoodRx provides cost savings for our customers in a simple, practical way and enables us to live our Kroger Health vision of helping people lead healthier lives."

The retailer said on its website that individuals can save an average of $461 per year and families an average of $1,064 per year through the Rx Savings Club.

Under the program, commonly prescribed generics are available free or at a discount for such conditions and health concerns as diabetes, asthma, mental health, women's health, gastrointestinal and heart disease. Examples of free generic medicines include amlodipine (Norvasc) for high blood pressure, metformin IR (Glucophage) for diabetes, sertraline (Zoloft) for mental health, montelukast (Singulair) for asthma, among others.

Atorvastatin, a generic of Lipitor, was recently ranked as the most popular prescription in America by GoodRx and costs $6 for a 30-day supply and $12 for a 90-day supply through the Rx Savings Club, Kroger reported.

GoodRx and the Cincinnati-based food and drug retailer noted that more than 200 million prescriptions are abandoned at pharmacy counters annually because people can’t afford them.

"Our mission is to help lower the cost of prescriptions in America, and we are very pleased to have worked with Kroger to develop such a significant Rx savings program," stated Jim Sheninger, pharmacy strategy officer at Santa Monica, Calif.-based GoodRx. "The popularity of the medications included in these discounts, coupled with the extra low-cost pricing tiers, should result in meaningful savings for patients and families — savings that are absolutely critical in this high-priced health care landscape."