LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix Super Markets Inc. is offering a new prescription drug program called Next Best Thing to Free, by which it will sell 29 common generic medications for $7.50 for a three-month supply.

Regardless of insurance coverage, Publix Pharmacy will dispense selected medications for the same out-of-pocket cost to help individuals get the medicine they need to adhere to their treatment regimen.

The program will be featured at all locations and will include drugs to treat diabetes, cholesterol, mental health, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, gout, asthma and others.

“When we were putting together the program, we looked at commonly prescribed medications and at opportunities where we could help out customers that didn’t have health insurance or had insurance but the co-pays were too high or had restrictions within their pharmacy network,” related Chad Madill, Publix pharmacy operations manager for the Atlanta Division (which includes Georgia, Alabama and ­Tennessee).

“With rising health care costs, we know consumers often have a hard time filling their prescriptions as regularly as they should. We believe this low price will help encourage patients to follow their doctor’s orders, so they can experience better health outcomes,” he added.

Madill said Publix Pharmacy expects the program to help raise adherence levels. “Ideally, we not only want to gain new business and introduce new patients to Publix Pharmacies but we also want to improve medication compliance for our patients by getting them on an automated refill program, if possible. We looked at how we could time a patient’s refills for the same date each month for pickup or, if they are getting it as a 90-day supply, for every three months. It saves them extra trips to the pharmacy, and it also helps improve adherence levels and subsequently decreases hospitalizations and doctor visits.”

Madill said that Publix Pharmacy’s Sync Your Refills is currently the industry leader in synchronization refill programs in terms of number of patients actively enrolled.

“The Sync Your Refills program helps customers coordinate their medications to be refilled on the same day of the month. This program facilitates customer engagement and the discussion of such patient care activities as immunizations, medication changes, medication therapy management consultations and medication ­adherence.”

He added, “We feel that by pro-
viding patients with price transparency on medications, they can anticipate their out-of-pocket costs, making them more inclined to stay compliant with their ­medications.”

Madill noted that the ultimate goal at Publix is to be a one-stop shop and more. “It’s a place where you get your groceries, household products and prescriptions all in one trip. We also want to show our new customers the services our community pharmacies have to offer and leverage our pharmacists as trusted professionals who can help them with all their health care needs. We have won the J.D. Power Award for Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Supermarket Pharmacies for eight of the last 11 years, and great customer service at the pharmacy counter is one of the reasons for our continued ­success.”