SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Stater Bros. Super Rx Pharmacy plans to provide a free 30-day supply of breast cancer treatment medication tamoxifen during October as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The food and drug retailer, which operates 167 supermarkets in southern California, said Monday that all 28 Super Rx Pharmacy locations will participate in the program. Customers need a valid doctor’s prescription to obtain the 30-day tamoxifen supply.

Stater Bros. noted that aside from skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women. Tamoxifen decreases the chance of breast cancer coming back in women who have already received treatment and helps to prevent breast cancer in women with a high risk of developing the disease.

"At some point in their lives, almost everyone has been affected by cancer," Stater Bros. chairman and chief executive officer Jack Brown said in a statement. "Stater Bros. Supermarkets believes in doing the right thing for the right reason, and we are so proud to be able to assist in the fight against cancer by offering this medication free of charge to those brave women battling this disease."

The supermarket chain added that it has offered customers a range of healthy living programs. They include a free antibiotic program that offers a 14-day supply of selected antibiotics, including refills, at no charge to anyone with or without health insurance coverage who presents a prescription, as well as a discount generic prescription drug program in which more than 300 commonly prescribed medications cost $4 for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply.