Some antibiotics free at Stater Bros.

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Here’s a new way to get people to shop in your stores: Offer free drugs. San Bernardino supermarket chain Stater Bros. said it will give a free 14-day supply of selected antibiotics, including refills, to anyone with or without health insurance coverage who presents a prescription.

People with insurance would not have a co-payment but the company would still bill their insurer, said Jack Brown, chief executive of Stater Bros.

The antibiotics will be available only at the 28 Stater Bros. locations in Southern California that have pharmacies. Check with your local Stater Bros. to find a location, or click here for a list of Stater Bros. stores with pharmacies.

The supermarket chain will give away eight different classes of antibiotics, including:

-- Amoxil (generic)
-- Ampicillin
-- Ciprofloxacin (Generic for Cipro)
-- Doxycycline
-- Erythromycin
-- Penicillin
-- Trimeth/sulfa (Generic for Septra or Bactrim)
-- Tetracycline

“Stater Bros. realizes that the current economic environment coupled with climbing health insurance rates have made access to crucial medication difficult for many of our customers,” Brown said in a statement. “Stater Bros. is doing all that we can to ensure accessible and affordable healthcare to our valued customers.”

Like other supermarkets, Stater Bros. also sells a wide range of $4 generic prescription drugs. It has 300 commonly prescribed medications for $4 for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply.

-- Jerry Hirsch
Twitter.com/LATimesJerry