Loss Leader.

I've been weaning myself off of 75mg of Effexor XR. Actually I went off cold turkey when I realized that my newly uninsured cost is $140/month. The pharmacist said there isn't a (cheaper) generic version of XR, the extended release version, though it appears there will be in 2010. So for a few weeks now I've been really dizzy and have been having vivid bad dreams. Something else, unexpected, has also occurred: I've been in a better mood.

In fact not only have I noticed it, but so have others. Probably the best example is my extreme reaction to this. I swear to god I find myself lying in bed in the middle of the night laughing so hard I'm afraid I'll wake up my girlfriend. Tears streaming and all. For some reason I think it is SO FUNNY! Also I find myself whistling (WTF?) and not taking naps during the day (WTF??).

The other interesting angle here is that I'm also on Prozac (well, Fluoxetine HCL actually), 40mg to be exact. This is the first time I've ever ONLY been on Prozac. I'll be pissed if that's all I've needed for the past 7 years. I'll also be happy.

The final twist is that I can't afford the Prozac either... or I couldn't until I saw a WalMart TV commercial that encouraged me to go to their website and check to see if Fluoxetine was on their list of over 400 $4 (yes, that's FOUR DOLLAR) prescriptions. It was.

It's what's called a "Loss Leader" in business jargon, and it's a brilliant move on WalMart's part. By offering something that everybody wants and many people NEED (almost-free drugs), they get people like me wandering into the store who would never ever have a reason or desire to set foot in a WalMart.

Of course they take a hit on the drugs but they think they'll make up for it by the hapless new drug customer dropping cash on other stuff while they're in the WalMart picking up their drugs. "No, I'm sorry, sir. your Effexor XR is still not ready. Feel free to browse the store while you wait."

I hate to support WalMart, even a little, but maybe if I go in and just get the prescription and NOTHING ELSE, I can walk out with my head high?