I saw that on CNN.com this morning. What an absolutely fascinating development. Can't wait to hear what Sam has to say on the subject.

This is insane. Why do we need Wal-Mart to offer prescription drugs at affordable prices when the government could do it for us? After all, the government's Medicare prescription drug program looks like it is going to work so well.

The next thing you know, Wal-Mart will include medical clinics in its stores offering doctor's visits for just $10 and hospital treatments for $100 a night. That would be awful, especially for OHSU and all the other expensive hospitals in the region. Let's make sure we keep this menace out of the Portland area!

Randal, Randal, Randal,

you miss the point. It's Wal-Mart, don't you see? WAL-MART!!!

Your indoctrination is not complete. Lie down. Breathe deeply. This won't hurt a bit.

Organized Labor guarantees it.

Sure, their generic drugs are cheap, but I heard they 'cut' the meds with Drain-O.

(I just wanted to start a baseless rumor about the Borg, er, Wal-Mart)

Damn them AND their low prices.

Anybody can charge less money than their competition: that's easy.

It's charging more money that demonstrates real marketing prowess.

May their bouncing yellow smiley face rot in HELL!

Now where are all them $4. generic drugs commin from?

Rumor has it that the drugs they will sell are non organic and made in a coal buring factory in a third world country by non unionized child labor...but hey on the upside portland gets an IKEA soon!!!

So far, utter silence from the anti-Wal Mart camp. My prediction: they won't find anything to gripe about with this development so they will ignore it and continue their anti-Wal Mart drumbeat.

Folks, the IKEA defense for Wal-Mart is grossly misused. IKEA does housewares, WM does EVERYTHING. IKEA's revenue is a drop in WM's bucket as well...

they won't find anything to gripe about

One thing I could think of is that this is really going to hasten the end of the independent phramacist. Even some of the grocery store chains may have trouble competing. Once Wal-Mart is the only drug store left in town, they can charge whatever they want. "Predatory pricing," I think it's called.

One thing I could think of is that this is really going to hasten the end of the independent phramacist.

And there it is. Took a little longer than I expected, however.

Even some of the grocery store chains may have trouble competing. Once Wal-Mart is the only drug store left in town, they can charge whatever they want. "Predatory pricing," I think it's called.

As for "predatory pricing" I have seen a few small towns where Wal-Mart is the only store in town, and I didnt see any $10 cans of soup, or $40 bottles of shampoo.

Jon, rather than parrying Bojack's comment, I believe you made it for him:
"As for 'predatory pricing' I have seen a few small towns where Wal-Mart is the only store in town,...."

If Walmart forces other pharmacists out, both big and small, and then starts raising prices, they will be supplanted by "the new Walmart." That's capitalism, and even Walmart can't overcome it.

I remember when 30 years ago KMart was the big bad discounting bully, pressuring small businesses as well as Sears and Penneys. Where are they now?...

Gordon is right. 100 years ago, Sears "threw its weight around" displacing local business with its fearsome catalogue. Now it's Wal-Mart. Twenty years from now, it will be something else, I promise - especially if Wal-Mart ever adopted the utterly ridiculous strategy of "charging whatever they want."

* Not all consumers shop based on price.
* Hardly any consumers shop at the same store forever.
* There's no "lock in" on shopping at Wal-Mart versus shopping anywhere else. It's a voluntary decision each time.

As for small towns, one of the sacrifices of living in a small town is not having access to a robust retail market. If you want lots of different stores to choose from, there are plenty of places to live besides a small town (and 99% of Americans live within an hour's drive of more than one retail outlet - anyway). To say nothing of e-commerce competition coming into play, which is now nearly ubiquitous.

If stores go out of business because they can't compete with Wal-Mart, it is because they failed to sufficiently meet their customers' needs - only ONE of which was *price* (could also be selection, location, service, social status, etc)

So there.

Many years ago, pharmacists in Arkansas got the courts to order Wal-Mart to increase its drug prices, as the company was "violating" the state's "predatory pricing" law.

I can guarantee you that pharmacists across the country will be in a long line to sue Wal-Mart under state statutes and under the federal Robinson-Patman Act, which was passed in 1936 in an attempt to put A&P out of business.

"Have we forgot Katrina and Social Security so soon?"

What was the Social Security disaster?

Gordon and Rex,

I could not agree with you guys more!!!

People don't realize that, they just see it as a menace but really it's business evolving. Spoke with a friend of mine who is an independent pharmacist (well as close to a good neighbor independent pharmacy as their can be) and was told that it only compiles about 1/2 or 1 percent of his sales. .5%... Let's say that an independent pharmacist grosses 10,000 dollars in a month. He loses 100 dollars. Sure, that is a bite out of his lunches for him but he can just make it up as more and more people are in need of medication every day.

When they start doing things like insulin and heart meds for that price, then we would see some closures.

yeah, there is a book out about how Walmart predatory pricing ran small drug stores out of town in the Midwest. I don't recall the name, but I have a copy somewhere. I was interested because my dad is a retired pharmacist/small businessman who was able to stay in the game by joining an association of independent druggists. Now days the independents seem to be few and far between.

I love WalMart. I save lots of money there every week. I used to pay 30-40% more for my groceries at Albertson's. Do I feel bad that Albertson's is having to close stores due to WalMart? In a word, no.