Birth control pills just got cheaper at your local Kroger pharmacy. Fertility pills, too.

The same goes for drugs to combat infections, heart problems and a host of other ailments.

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Some of the drugs on the listClick to enlarge

The discounted drugs are part of a long list of more than 300 popular generic drugs Kroger began selling last week for $4 per 30-day prescription.

"We wanted to offer it as an affordable alternative for customers for their health and medication needs," said Meghan Glynn, spokeswoman for the Cincinnati-based Kroger.

It's also about competition in a tough marketplace, particularly in Ohio, Glynn added.

"In our industry the landscape continues to change and we want to continue to be relevant to our customers," she said.

Kroger joins Wal-Mart, Target Corp. and others with similar discount plans.

Deisha Galberth, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, said its addition of birth control pills Sept. 27 and other drugs shows the company is trying to drive down health care costs.

Some company-paid health care plans don't cover birth control medicine, and those that do charge $10 per generic prescription. Without coverage, the cost is about $30 or more.

At Kroger, birth control and fertility drugs are a bit costlier than other generics — $9 per 28-day prescription for generic versions of Ortho Cyclen, Ortho Tri-Cyclen and Clomid.

Meijer Inc., based in Grand Rapids, Mich., doesn't offer discounts on birth control and other generic drugs, but offers the seven leading generic antibiotics, including amoxicillin and penicillin, to customers free of charge.

"We've given away 1 million prescriptions for antibiotics since late October 2006, when we launched the program," Meijer spokeswoman Stacie Behler said.

The Blade in Toledo contributed to this story.

Related: Find discounted generic drugs at other area stores