LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix Super Markets Inc. this month marked a milestone for its pharmacies by surpassing 50 million free prescriptions for customers in the past eight years.

The Southeastern food and drug retailer said Thursday that Publix Pharmacy, which launched free antibiotics in 2007, has continued to enhance to the free prescriptions program based on research and need.

For example, the company noted, more than 29 million Americans have diabetes, and it is one of the fastest growing diseases in America, with an increase of almost 12% in less than four years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Another 86 million people have prediabetes. And according to John Hopkins University, about 78 million U.S. adults have high blood pressure, and an estimated 15 million have coronary heart disease.

Publix Pharmacy has addressed such trends through its free prescription program. Medications that Publix provides at no cost to customers include amlodipine (for high blood pressure and angina), metformin (for diabetes) and lisinopril (for high blood pressure, heart conditions, diabetes and chronic kidney conditions).

Free antibiotics offered through the program include amoxicillin, ampicillin, ciprofloxacin (excluding ciprofloxacin XR), penicillin VK and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (SMZ-TMP).

“We’re thrilled to have helped so many customers with free antibiotic prescriptions, diabetes management and medication adherence as well as overcoming the financial barrier to taking their medications as prescribed,” Maria Brous, director of media and community relations at Publix, said in a statement. “We’ve continued to enhance our free prescription program to allow our customers to focus on family health and achieving their wellness goals.”

To get a free medication under the program, new or current customers must provide their Publix pharmacist with their prescription or have the prescription transferred, and it will be filled at no charge. There’s no limit the number of prescriptions that customers can get filled for free.

Publix added that customers also can take advantage of Sync Your Refills, a program introduced last year to synchronization of patient medications to be refilled on the same day of the month. Also through the program, customers can engage with a Publix pharmacist to discuss care activities such as immunizations, medication changes, medication therapy management (MTM) and medication adherence.

Publix operates 1,100 supermarkets in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina, with about 930 in-store pharmacies.