A blogger recently did a little investigating and discovered that generic Ritalin (methylphenidate) is available for $4 at Wal-Mart, as well as competitors Target and Kroger.

What’s interesting about this is that not one of the retailers includes the drug on its official list of $4 generic drugs. Here’s Wal-Mart’s list, for example. No trace of methylphenidate anywhere.

We can only assume the omission is intentional. Selling a highly addictive drug like methylphenidate for such a low price might raise eyebrows in some health and medical circles, so the retailers probably want to keep the promotion quiet.

Already, physicians are complaining loudly about supermarkets that are offering free antibiotics as a way to increase foot traffic — because overuse of antibiotics leads to antibiotic resistance and the decreasing effectiveness of these drugs. That would seem like a pretty minor concern compared to selling a Schedule II controlled substance like methylphenidate for $4. Drugs like cocaine, opium and morphine are in the same class. And we know what Tom Cruise thinks about Ritalin.

It’s a curious marketing strategy. If the purpose of the generic drug programs is to be a loss leader, drawing foot traffic to these stores in hopes shoppers will buy other items, doesn’t it defeat that purpose to keep generic Ritalin’s price a secret? Why offer it at the promotional price at all?

Whatever the backstory may be, it’s a secret no longer.