GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer pharmacies marked a major milestone this week in helping customers lower their healthcare costs. The Midwestern retailer’s Free Prescription Drug program reached 50 million prescriptions filled since its launch in 2006, saving customers more than $650 million.

Meijer established the Free Prescription Drug Program to help lower healthcare costs for families by focusing on antibiotic medications most often filled for children. Through the years, as high costs of prescription drugs continued to rise, the program added other medications as well.

“This program allows us to provide families necessary medications that best manage their health,” said Jason Beauch, vice president of Meijer Pharmacy. “We believe you can’t put a price on wellness, so it’s important for us to support local communities and do our part to help customers save on necessary medications and improve on their overall quality of life.”

Customers can participate in the program simply by bringing in a doctor’s prescription for the select medications that are currently part of the program. The prescriptions are then free, regardless of insurance or co-pay. In 2018, the Meijer free prescription program saved Meijer customers more than $50 million.