Leading Antibiotics are now FREE at your Meijer Pharmacy—No Strings Attached!

"Rising health care costs are having a dramatic impact on families across the country, especially here in the Midwest. Our free antibiotic program is the next step Meijer is taking to lead the industry toward improving the health of our customers. It is all about delivering higher standards."

–Mark Murray, Meijer president

The program covers leading, oral generic antibiotics with a special focus on the prescriptions most often filled for children. The following are FREE with your doctor’s prescription, regardless of insurance or co-pay:

Prescription must be picked up at store in person. Maximum 14 day supply at normal oral dosages. Does not include extended release formulations. List may be subject to change. Not valid with any other offer.

What the Experts Say...
National health experts say that 40 percent of children who see a physician leave with a prescription. 'When appropriately prescribed, antibiotics are the leading tools to treat sick kids," said Dr. Herman Gray, fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics and president, Children's Hospital of Michigan.

"As a family-focused company, offering free pre-natal vitamins is just another way we can help the many families that make up our core customer base. Just as our free antibiotic program was designed to help our customers get healthy during these tough economic times, offering free pre-natal vitamins will help our customers stay healthy during a very important time in their lives."
--Nat Love, Vice President, Meijer Drugstore

The free pre-natal vitamin program launched on June 1, 2008 and features five leading brands of pre-natal vitamins. See a Meijer pharmacist for details.

It has been shown that pre-natal vitamins play an important role in healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. Through the years, these supplements have typically been prescribed for women who have become pregnant. However, many members of the medical community believe they also play an important role for women in the important months leading up to conception. Therefore, a large number of physicians now prescribe these vitamins for the months leading up to a patient's attempt to conceive.

Meijer's free pre-natal vitamin program comes on the heels of the company celebrating its milestone of filling two million free antibiotic prescriptions in April. The free antibiotic program, which launched in October 2006, has saved Meijer customers more than $33 million.

FSA: Flex Spend Account - allows you to save money on health care expenses by paying with pre-tax dollars saved in a flexible spending account maintained through your employer. These types of accounts may also be referred to as HSA (Health Savings Account), HCFSA (Health Care Flex Spend Account) and HRA (Health Reimbursement Account)

OTC: Over the counter medications - do not require a prescription

Eligible: Items that the IRS allows you to pay for using Flex Spend Account dollars. Medicines or products that alleviate or treat injuries or illness for you and your dependents are eligible, but not any that are cosmetic in nature or merely beneficial to your overall health. Eligible items purchased at Meijer are flagged on your receipt with '+' and you can use your Flex Spend Account Mastercard, Visa or Discover card.

Excluded: Items that the IRS does not allow you to pay for using Flex Spend Account dollars. Generally, products that are not medicines or merely benefit your general health are excluded. These items are not able to be paid for with FSA dollars.

Dual-Purpose: Items such as vitamins and supplements that could be used for some individuals to alleviate a medical condition, while others use the product for general health and well-being. These items are not flagged with '+' at Meijer, although these items may be covered for reimbursement by your plan if your physician deems them necessary. Guidelines from the IRS require submission of a letter of medical necessity from your physician and your receipt for dual-purpose items to be reimbursable - check with your plan for their specific requirements.

Categories and Examples

Eligible - can use FSA card to purchase at Meijer

• Allergy prevention and treatment - Benadryl, Claritin, NasalCrom
• Antibiotics (topical) - Bacitracin, Neosporin
• Cold, flu, decongestant, and sinus remedies - Alka Seltzer Cold and Flu, Dayquil, Tavist, cough drops, nasal sprays, throat lozenges
• Contact lens supplies - cleaning/soaking solutions, lens storage cases
• First aid/medical supplies - peroxide, bandages, cold/hot packs for injuries, thermometers

Excluded - cannot use FSA card to purchase at Meijer.

• Cosmetic products - face soaps, creams, make-up, hair removal
• Dental products - dental floss, toothpaste, toothbrushes

Dual Purpose - cannot use FSA card to purchase at Meijer

• Acne treatments
• Vitamins/minerals
• Hair loss treatment
• Feminine hygiene

Always save your receipts! If you have any questions, please call 1(866)509-9293.

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.

THIS NOTICE IS EFFECTIVE AS OF APRIL 14, 2003

The Pharmacy is required to maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information ("PHI") and to provide you with a notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to PHI. PHI is information about you, including basic demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition and related health care services. This Notice of Privacy Practices ("Notice") describes how we may use and disclose PHI about you to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations and for other specified purposes that are permitted or required by law. The Notice also describes your rights with respect to PHI about you.

The Pharmacy is required to follow the terms of this Notice. We will not use or disclose PHI about you without your written authorization, except as described in this Notice. We reserve the right to change our practices and this Notice and to make the new Notice effective for all PHI we maintain. Upon request, we will provide a revised Notice to you.

Examples of How We May Use and Disclose PHI:

The following categories describe and provide examples of different ways that we use and disclose PHI about you.

We will use PHI for treatment. Example: Information obtained by the pharmacy will be used to dispense prescription medications to you. We will document in your record information related to the medications dispensed to you and services provided to you.

We will use PHI for payment. Example: We will contact your insurer or pharmacy benefit manager to determine whether it will pay for your prescription and the amount of your co-payment responsibility. We will bill you or a third-party payor for the cost of prescription medications dispensed to you. The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, as well as the prescriptions you are taking.

We will use PHI for health care operations. Example: The Pharmacy may use information in your health record to monitor the performance of the pharmacists providing treatment to you. This information will be used in an effort to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of the health care and service we provide.

We are likely to use or disclose PHI for the following purposes:

Business associates: There are some services provided by us through contracts with business associates. An example of this is the company that writes and maintains our prescription processing software. When these services are contracted for, we may disclose PHI about you to our business associate so that they can perform the job we have asked them to do and bill you or your third-party payor for services rendered. To protect PHI about you, we require the business associate to appropriately safeguard the PHI.

Communication with individuals involved in your care or payment for your care:

Health professionals such as pharmacists, using their professional judgment, may disclose to a family member, other relative, close personal friend or any person you identify, PHI relevant to that person's involvement in your care or payment related to your care.

Program Registrations: In order for us to dispense or order certain medications, you may be required to register with an outside company. Other medications may require you to submit blood work prior to receiving your prescription.

Once you have enrolled or submitted your blood work we may disclose information about you, your enrollment, or your blood work to those outside companies necessary to continue your treatment.

Personal communications: We may contact you to provide refill reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you. We may contact you to inform you about the status of your prescription(s) whether they be ready for pick-up, on order, or delayed for any reason. We may also contact you to follow up with the care you have received or to offer to answer any questions you may have related to your treatment.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA): We may disclose to the FDA or its agents PHI relative to adverse events with respect to drugs, foods, supplements, products and product defects, or post marketing surveillance information to enable product recalls, repairs, or replacement.

Workers' Compensation: We may disclose PHI about you to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to worker's compensation or other similar programs established by law.

Other Health Care Providers: We may disclose PHI about you for treatment or payment activities of another health care provider. We may also disclose PHI about you to another health care provider for the health care operation's activities (quality assessments, competence, and performance reviews as well as others) of that health care provider providing they too have a relationship with you. We may also disclose PHI about you to such a health care provider for the purpose of health care fraud and abuse detection or compliance.

Public health: As required by law, we may disclose PHI about you to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.

Law enforcement: We may disclose PHI about you for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena.

As required by law: We must disclose PHI about you when required to do so by law.

Health oversight activities: We may disclose PHI about you to an oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include audits, investigations, and inspections, as necessary for our licensure and for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.

Judicial and administrative proceedings: If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose PHI about you in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose PHI about you in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the requested PHI.

We are permitted to use or disclose PHI about you for the following purposes:

Research: We may disclose PHI about you to researchers when their research has been approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your information.

Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors: We may release PHI about you to a coroner or medical examiner.

This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We may also disclose PHI to funeral directors consistent with applicable law to carry out their duties.

Organ or tissue procurement organizations: Consistent with applicable law, we may disclose PHI about you to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged in the procurement, banking, or transplantation of organs for the purpose of tissue donation and transplant.

Notification: We may use or disclose PHI about you to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative, or another person responsible for your care, your location, and general condition.

Correctional institution: If you are or become an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or its agents, PHI necessary for your health and the health and safety of others.

To avert a serious threat to health or safety: We may use and disclose PHI about you when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person.

Military and veterans: If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release PHI about you as required by military command authorities. We may also release PHI about foreign military personnel to the appropriate military authority.

National security and intelligence activities: We may release PHI about you to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.

Protective services for the President and others: We may disclose PHI about you to authorized federal officials so they may provide protection to the President, other authorized persons or foreign heads of state or conduct special investigations.

Victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence: We may disclose PHI about you to a government authority, such as a social service or protective services agency, if we reasonably believe you are a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence. We will only disclose this type of information to the extent required by law, if you agree to the disclosure, or if the disclosure is allowed by law and we believe it is necessary to prevent serious harm to you or someone else or the law enforcement or public official that is to receive the report represents that it is necessary and will not be used against you.

Other Uses and Disclosures of PHI

The Pharmacy will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing PHI about you for purposes other than those provided for above (or as otherwise permitted or required by law). You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time. Upon receipt of the written revocation, we will stop using or disclosing PHI about you, except to the extent that we have already taken action in reliance on the authorization.

Your Health Information Rights

Meijer has designated a Privacy Specialist to answer questions regarding our privacy practices as well as to respond to information requests or complaints. You may contact the Meijer Privacy Specialist by calling our Public and Consumer Affairs toll free number (1-800-543-3704) and selecting option 2 for the Privacy Specialist. For inquires that require a written request, please address them to:

Meijer Privacy Specialist
2929 Walker Avenue, N.W.
Grand Rapids, MI 49544

You have the following rights with respect to PHI about you:

Obtain a paper copy of the Notice upon request. You may request a copy of the Notice at any time. Even if you have agreed to receive the Notice electronically, you are still entitled to a paper copy. To obtain a paper copy, you may request one in person at any Meijer Pharmacy or by contacting the Privacy Specialist.

Request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of PHI. You have the right to request additional restrictions on our use or disclosure of PHI about you by sending a written request to our Privacy Specialist (address listed above). Forms for this are available at any Meijer Pharmacy. It is not necessary to use this form but it may aid you in providing adequate information for us to process your request. We are not required to agree to those restrictions.

Inspect and obtain a copy of PHI. You have the right to access and copy PHI about you contained in a designated record set for as long as the Pharmacy maintains the PHI. The "designated record set" usually will include prescription and billing records. To inspect or copy PHI about you, you must send a written request to our Privacy Specialist (address listed above). Forms for this are available at any Meijer Pharmacy. It is not necessary to use this form but it may aid you in providing adequate information for us to process your request. We may charge you a fee for the costs of copying, mailing, or other supplies that are necessary to grant your request. We may deny your request to inspect and copy in certain limited circumstances. If you are denied access to PHI about you, you may request that the denial be reviewed.

Request an amendment of PHI. If you feel that PHI we maintain about you is incomplete or incorrect, you may request that we amend it. You may request an amendment for as long as we maintain the PHI. To request an amendment, you must send a written request to the Privacy Specialist (address listed above). Forms for this are available at any Meijer Pharmacy. It is not necessary to use this form but it may aid you in providing adequate information for us to process your request. In addition, you must include a reason that supports your request. In certain cases, we may deny your request for amendment. If we deny your request for amendment, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement with the decision and we may give you a rebuttal to your statement.

Receive an accounting of disclosures of PHI. You have the right to receive an accounting of the disclosures we have made of PHI about you after April 14, 2003 for most purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations. The accounting will exclude disclosures we have made directly to you, disclosures to friends or family members involved in your care, and disclosures for notification purposes. The right to receive an accounting is subject to certain other exceptions, restrictions, and limitations. To request an accounting, you must submit your request in writing to our Privacy Specialist (address listed above). Forms for this are available at any Meijer Pharmacy. It is not necessary to use this form but it may aid you in providing adequate information for us to process your request. Your request must specify the time period, but may not be longer than six years. The first accounting you request within a 12 month period will be provided free of charge, but you may be charged for the cost of providing additional accountings. We will notify you of the cost involved and you may choose to withdraw or modify your request at that time.

Request communications of PHI by alternative means or at alternative locations. For instance, you may request that we contact you about medical matters only in writing or at a different residence or post office box. To request confidential communication of PHI about you, you must submit your request in writing to our Privacy Specialist (address listed above). Forms for this are available at any Meijer Pharmacy. It is not necessary to use this form but it may aid you in providing adequate information for us to process your request. Your request must state how or when you would like to be contacted. We will accommodate all reasonable requests.

For More Information or to Report a Problem

If you have questions or would like additional information about Meijer Pharmacy's privacy practices, you may contact our Privacy Specialist at 1-800-543-3704 (option 2) or send an e-mail to: PrivacySpecialist@meijer.com

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with the Privacy Specialist or with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.