CAMP HILL, Pa. – Increased prescription business lifted Rite Aid Corp.’s same-store sales to another strong gain in October.

Rite Aid said Thursday that comparable-store sales for the four weeks ended Oct. 25 rose 5.5% year over year, up from September’s increase of 5.1%, which had been the drug chain’s largest monthly comp-store sales gain of the calendar year.

In the front end, same-store sales edged up 2% in October. Comparable pharmacy sales for the month climbed 7.1% and reflected a negative impact of 228 basis points from introductions of new generic drugs, which typically carry lower prices.

Prescriptions filled at comparable stores in October grew 4.9% over the prior-year period.

Overall drug store sales for October came in at $2.058 billion, up 5% from $1.961 billion a year earlier. Prescription sales represented 70.1% of drug store sales, Rite Aid said.

For the 34 weeks ended Oct. 25, same-store sales gained 4% versus the year-ago period, including increases of 0.9% in the front end and 5.4% in the pharmacy. Prescription count at comparable stores rose 3.4%.

Total drug store sales for the 34 weeks rose 3.5% to $16.982 billion from $16.410 billion in the prior-year period. Prescription sales accounted for 68.9% of overall drug store sales in that time span.

As of Oct. 25, Rite Aid operated 4,574 stores, compared with 4,599 stores a year ago.