Wal-Mart: $4 drugs save shoppers $1 billion

BENTONVILLE, Ark. Wal-Mart senior vp and president of health and wellness, Dr. John Agwunobi, is scheduled to address to the Council of Teaching Hospitals in New Orleans later today, the company reported. Dr. Agwunobi will speak about the success of Wal-Mart's $4 prescription program, which has saved customers more than $1 billion since its launch in September 2006, according to Wal-Mart.

In his prepared remarks, Agwunobi will note, "While $1 billion in savings is an astonishing achievement, the real savings to America -- and its health care system -- are even larger. That's because many of our competitors have also lowered their prices. $4 prescriptions now represent approximately 40% of all filled prescriptions at Wal-Mart. Nearly 30% of $4 prescriptions are filled without insurance -- significantly higher than the 10% industry trend. But more importantly, this program has meant that people can now take the drugs that were prescribed to them. They no longer need to cut pills in half or not take the drugs at all."