Do $4 generics work for you?

$4 generics are making the news. Target has announced that it is matching Wal-Mart's commitment to $4 generic medications — prescription-only drugs that are now available from more than one manufacturer. (Get it? The free market at work.) Unfortunately, Wal-Mart's program is not yet available in Minnesota. But Target's is. The medications available from Target on the $4 plan are listed here.

If the names on the list befuddle you, generic medications and their name-brand equivalents can be searched here. Either look up the patented name here or the generic name here.

Typical of an administration that has tried its best to protect the profits of drug companies that specialize in patented medications, the search engine is not as intuitive as it could be.

Nevertheless, many generics are available that offer a much less expensive option to name-brand medications. Fortunately, Target nationwide and Wal-Mart in selected states are offering those medications at prices ordinary Americans can afford.