Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Oregon; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Oregon Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Oregon customers of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. can now participate in Wal-Mart's $4 generic prescription program, Wal-Mart President and CEO Lee Scott announced today.

"Since we began the program in September, it has made a real difference in the health of our customers and our communities, so we're very pleased to bring it to Oregon," Scott said. "Customers have told us again and again how valuable the $4 generic prescription program is. We're thrilled that we can respond in a way that cuts costs out of the system and brings more affordable medicines to our customers."

The $4 generic prescription program will now be available in the 30 Wal- Mart and Sam's Club pharmacies throughout the state, in addition to stores in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Vermont starting today. The program was launched in 235 Florida pharmacies on October 6, 2006. Wal-Mart originally planned to expand it into as many states as possible beginning in 2007, but customer demand led the company to accelerate the launch.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, there are 463,480 Medicare beneficiaries in Oregon, and this program will help alleviate a challenge if those seniors have fallen into the "doughnut hole" coverage gap in their Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. Seniors who do hit that coverage gap have to pay 100 percent of their prescription costs.

The $4 generics program also provides affordable medicines for the estimated 592,070 Oregonians who lack health insurance and therefore sometimes avoid filling prescriptions. Wal-Mart also estimates that the program will save money for Oregon's Medicaid program.

The $4 generics program includes 314 generic prescriptions available for up to a 30-day supply at commonly prescribed dosages. The list of 314 generic prescriptions is made up of as many as 143 compounds in 24 therapeutic categories. Wal-Mart estimates that the list of $4 prescription medications represents nearly 25 percent of prescriptions that it currently dispenses in its pharmacies nationwide.

"Working families, seniors and the uninsured in Oregon have struggled with rising healthcare costs for far too long. With this program, we are able to bring real solutions to a real problem that affects real people. We are thrilled that we could bring this program to the residents of Oregon much sooner than we anticipated," said Bill Simon, executive vice president of the Professional Services Division for Wal-Mart.

Simon noted that the response in Florida has been considerable, with 88,235 new prescriptions filled in the ten days after the October 6, 2006 rollout.

"In one pharmacy in Florida, our pharmacist told me about a woman who broke down and started to cry and as she told of how the $4 program was saving her $75 a month," said Simon. "She said, 'It may not sound like a lot to you, but for the first time in a long time, I'll be able to buy my grandkids presents for Christmas. It has been a long time since I was able to do that.' That woman, and so many others like her, is what drives our commitment to ensure this program is available to as many Americans as possible."

Simon pointed out that customer savings on top-selling prescription medications in the program are projected to be significant. For specific medications, the company estimates the following approximate savings to Wal- Mart, Neighborhood Market and Sam's Club customers and members in Florida, based on August average retail prices from http://www.myfloridarx.com/ :

* Fluoxetine (20 mg), an antidepressant: about $210,000 monthly and $2.5 million annually on this medication. * Lisinopril (10 mg), used to treat high blood pressure: about $150,000 monthly and $1.8 million annually on this medication. * Atenolol (25 mg), a beta blocker: about $75,000 monthly and $900,000 annually on this medication.

"That's just in Florida," said Simon. "Can you imagine what that savings will be as we move this program into these 14 states, and perhaps even beyond?"

Simon said that following the Florida rollout two weeks ago, he continued to challenge his team to evaluate Wal-Mart's supply-chain and in-store operations to determine the states where the program could be launched.

"As we looked at all the factors necessary to expand the program into states earlier, Oregon was one of the states where we could deliver the program in a way that meets the needs of our business, but even more importantly, meets the needs of our customers," said Simon.

The prescriptions included in the program represent many of the most commonly prescribed medications in a wide range of therapeutic categories. Generics contain the same high quality active ingredients as their "brand- name" counterparts and are equally effective but cost significantly less. Wal- Mart continues to use the same suppliers as before the launch of the $4 generic prescription program.

Consumers interested in saving money on prescriptions through the program should ask their doctor if a generic is available for their prescription and is right for them. At this time, the $4 prescriptions are not available by mail order and are available on-line or by telephone for refills only for in- person pickup in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Vermont. For further information on the program including store locations, customers can call 1-800-WAL-MART, go to http://www.walmart.com/ , or visit their Wal-Mart, Neighborhood Market or Sam's Club in the 15 participating states to discuss the program with their pharmacist or pick up a brochure explaining program details.

About Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAM'S CLUB locations in the United States. The company also operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. The company's securities are listed on the New York and NYSE Arca stock exchanges under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting http://www.walmartfacts.com/ .