Walmart’s store tagline is “everyday low prices,” which is something they have proven to do more than once. But with their recent announcement, customers were happy to find out that they are true to their word even when it comes to medical care.
The conglomerate has launched their own version of insulin medication that will be less expensive for customers that either lack health insurance, or have difficulty paying for the normal cost of this necessary and life-saving drug.
In a recent press release on their website, the company wrote, “These products will save customers between 58% to 75% off the cash price of branded analog insulin products, which translates to a savings of up to $101 per branded vial or $251 per package of branded FlexPens.”
In the earlier part of July, Walmart began to sell their private-label brand version of analog insulin – which is said to be a newer and more dependable form of insulin – to those that have a prescription from their doctor. The medicine is called ReliOn NovoLog, and to many customers’ delight, in mid-July, it will also made available at Sam’s Club.
The cost of the medicine will be around $73 for a vial or around $86 for a package of the pre-filled insulin pens.
Executive Vice President of Walmart’s Health & Wellness division, Dr. Cheryl Pegus said, “We know many people with diabetes struggle to manage the financial burden of this condition, and we are focused on helping by providing affordable solutions. We also know this is a condition that disproportionately impacts undeserved populations.”
She adds, “We ReliOn NovoLog insulin, we’re adding a high-quality medication for diabetes to the already affordable ReliOn line of products and continuing our commitment to improve access and lowering cost of care.”
In addition, ReliOn products also include other lower priced, private labeled version of blood glucose monitors, lancets and other needed medical essentials for diabetes management.
In a report by CNBC, US lawmakers have continued to scrutinize other diabetes drug companies before such as Eli Lilly and Sanofi, which is a French company, due to their continued price increases of their products in the past two decades alone. This even lead Sanofi to begin a limited price reduction program.
In order to lessen costs for their insulin products, Walmart chose to work with the Novo Nordisk manufacturer directly. Dr. Cheryl Pegus explained, “This price point, we hope, will improve and hopefully revolutionize the accessibility and affordability of insulin.”
According to the American Diabetes Association, ‘29.1 million Americans, 9.3% of the population, have diabetes’ while thousands more are diagnosed every day. Without affordable and accessible medication, a large number of those suffering from this chronic disease could prove to be fatal if they can’t get access to the medicine they need.
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