Hawai'i residents saved an estimated $1.2 million in the first 10 months of a $4 prescription program rolled out by Wal-Mart Stores last year, the retail giant said yesterday.

The company yesterday announced it added 24 more generic prescription drugs to the list of medications that can be purchased for $4 each at Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs pharmacies across the state.

Wal-Mart spokesperson Tiffany Moffatt said the reduced cost program saved residents $1,244,044 since it began in Hawai'i on Nov. 28. The estimate comes from the difference in what Wal-Mart was charging and the discount price.

She said the list of medications under Wal-Mart's program now covers most commonly treated medical conditions.

Nationally, the Wal-Mart prescription program has saved customers more than $610 million — driving down the cost of healthcare for families, she said.

Wal-Mart operates seven pharmacies in their Hawai'i stores and two pharmacies in Sam's Clubs. The Mililani Wal-Mart store does not have a pharmacy.

On the Big Island, Kailua, Kona, resident Jere Pennell is interested in any cost savings he can find.

Pennell, 74, is a retired schoolteacher who is battling cancer. He and his wife, Cheryl ("that's C as in caregiver" he offers) plan to go to Wal-Mart, Kmart and Costco next week to research prices on the 27 medications he currently takes.

"We take the shopping list, so to speak, and we go and compare,"

Since a cancer operation in July, he has needed painkillers on top of other continuing prescriptions, and that has pushed up the cost considerably.

Last year, he spent just a little more than $2,000 on medication and co-payments. This year, he's already passed that, with a running medication tab of $2,649.47.

He said the oxycodone runs him $200 a month because his drug plan doesn't cover narcotics.

Pennell said the shopping research helps them find better prices for medication, food and other household expenses.

"We do that about every two to three months," Pennell said. "It's part of trying to live within the money that we have. I'm retired and living on a pension."

AARP Hawai'i spokesman Bruce Bottorff declined to comment on a specific company's efforts but said the organization is encouraged that retailers are looking at creative ways to make prescription drugs more affordable.

"Brand name prescription drug prices are increasing at about twice the rate of inflation, and that's a major challenge for Hawai'i residents — especially older people on fixed incomes," Bottorff said.

Wal-Mart spokesperson Moffatt said the $4 program has been expanded to more medicines covering more categories, including those for glaucoma, attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, fungal infections and acne. The company also added $9 birth control prescriptions in some markets.

She said the savings are reaching customers faster. One month ago, the antifungal Lamisil had an average price of $337.26. The generic equivalent, terbinafine, is now available through Wal-Mart pharmacies for $4 for a 30-day supply, saving customers $333.26 per prescription.

Has the company seen an increase in overall sales? Moffatt declined to provide specific figures, saying, "We typically don't share sales information."

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.