When Mechanic Falls Pharmacy owner Chuck Pirmozich learned that Wal-Mart would offer $4 generic drugs in a Florida pilot program, his reaction was swift.

“It’s stupid.”

Sure, low-cost Wal-Mart medications sound good, he said, but what about the service, expertise and experience that independent pharmacies provide? Is it right to get cheap when it comes to lifesaving drugs?

“A $4 prescription is not a good thing,” he said. “It’s like a black banana.”

Pirmozich isn’t alone in his blunt assessment.

Nearly a week after retail giant Wal-Mart announced plans for cheaper-than-cheap prescriptions – and Target said it would follow suit – some local independent pharmacies are crying foul.

“I’m not crazy about it,” said Susan Anderson, who owns the Medical Center Pharmacy at Parkview, the Medical Center Pharmacy at Midcoast and the Senior Health Center in Brunswick. “It’s almost impossible to fill a script and make any money at it at $4 a piece. The overhead is more than that.”

But at least one local pharmacist likes the idea of $4 drugs. Rob Witt, co-owner of Howard’s Rexall Drug in Farmington, said he’d try to keep as many customers as he can with superb service and deliveries. But if people need cheaper prescriptions, he’d like to see that option available.

“Anything that lowers the price so people can take their medications is a good thing,” Witt said.

Wal-Mart announced last week that it would provide customers with a 30-day supply of nearly 300 generic drugs for $4 each. Almost immediately, Target said it would do the same for about 130 generics. Both companies are starting their programs in Tampa Bay, Fla. Wal-Mart plans to expand throughout Florida and to a selection of other states next year.

If the program takes off, Maine could be a year or more away from $4 Wal-Mart generics. But that hasn’t stopped local pharmacies from being concerned now.

“I’m a little guy. There’s not much I can do to fight Wal-Mart,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s Parkview pharmacy, like Mechanic Falls Pharmacy and The Medicine Shoppe in Lewiston, already offer some of the cheapest prescriptions in Maine, according to state surveys. Still, Anderson and other owners say they can’t compete with $4 generics.

“We don’t want to lose business, but what can we do?” said Lana Hoang, owner of The Medicine Shoppe.

Hoang matches competitors’ prices. She’s not sure, though, if she could match Wal-Mart’s $4 generics.

Instead, she and other drug store owners try to provide knowledgeable, experienced pharmacists and premium customer service.

“I’m just in hopes my customers stay loyal,” Anderson said.

At Howard’s Rexall Drug, Witt is a lot like the other owners: his drug store offers some of the cheapest prescriptions in Maine, but he still wouldn’t be able to match $4 drugs. In some cases, that would be below cost for him.

He wonders whether Wal-Mart’s program is just a ploy to get customers in the door.

“It was a nice big media blast,” he said. “I’d like to see the specifics behind it.”

Still, he said, too many people go without medications because they can’t afford them. He’s in favor of lower drug prices “any way, any how.”

Even Wal-Mart and its $4 generics.

“If it means people are going to take their medications, I’m all for it,” he said.

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