Sorry to get your New Year’s Eve hopes up, but the offer covers amoxicillin, penicillin, ciprofloxacin — antibiotics that should not be mixed with champagne. Still, consider it a true escalation in the Grocery Wars: The Washington Post reports that Giant Food, in an effort to lure customers, is filling prescription antibiotics orders gratis from January 2 through March 21.

Is the program a loss-leader, an effort to compete with Wal-Mart’s bargain-basement $4 rate for common prescriptions? Or is Giant Food reaching out at a time when Americans are increasingly skipping doses — or prescriptions altogether — in order to save money?

Whether truly or incidentally altruistic, Giant’s potentially positioned itself to recapture market share lost to competitors offering lower costs (Wal-Mart) and specialized products (Whole Foods). This writer lives almost entirely prescription drug–free and doesn’t have any strong allegiance to any pharmacy (well, maybe one). Cost? Proximity? How do you choose your legal dealer?

Photo by IntangibleArts