GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer Inc. says its pharmacies reached a major milestone late last month when the retailer’s free prescription program hit 30 million prescriptions dispensed since the program launched in October 2006.

The program has saved customers more than $422 million, said Nat Love, vice president of pharmacy for the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer.

“Meijer is a family-owned company committed to meeting the needs of other families,” Love said in a statement. “We do this by providing positive solutions to everyday problems, which includes access to necessary medications. We began our free prescription program with that in mind, and are pleased that so many families across the Midwest continue to find it valuable.”

The retailer’s free prescription program helps ensure the health of families and individuals by allowing Meijer customers, regardless of insurance or co-pay, to get the medications they need. The program started by covering leading oral generic antibiotics, with a special focus on the prescription most often filled for children. The program has expanded over the years, Love said. Free prenatal vitamins were offered beginning in May 2008. Metformin, the most commonly-prescribed drug for type 2 diabetes, was added in 2010, and atorvastatin calcium, the generic substitute for the cholesterol-lowering medication Lipitor was added in 2012.