The Rx Coupon Matrix:

Which pharmacies
accept which coupons?

Updated May 9, 2010

At the stores below ...	... they accept Rx coupons from stores listed with "Y" (Yes):
	CVS	Giant Eagle	Kroger	Wal-Mart	Kmart	Rite Aid	Meijer	Target	Walgreen's
CVS	Y	Y*	Y	Y	Y	?	Y	Y*	2/year
Giant Eagle	2/year**	Y+	2/year (1/six months) **			?	2/year (1/six months) **
Kroger	1/day; 4 or so (lifetime limit) ***					?	1/day; 4 or so (lifetime limit) ***
Wal-Mart	NO	NO	NO	Y	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO
Kmart	1/week (sometimes more)					?	1/week (sometimes more)
Rite Aid	?	?	?	?	?	Y	?	?	?
Meijer	?	?	?	?	?	?	Y	?	?
Target	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	Y+	NO
Walgreen's	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	2/year**

Updated May 9, 2010

This applies to Central Ohio (Columbus) area. Subject to frequent changes and variations from one location (or even pharmacist on duty) to another. Based primarily on experiences at locations on Henderson, Bethel, Sawmill, Hard, and Powell roads and near the OSU campus.

There are no RiteAid stores left in Columbus, Ohio, so most stores that take competitor coupons in that market will not accept these. Makes sense. Not much of a competitor if you have to drive to another city to use the coupon. But I saw a CVS clerk take one once. So give it a shot if you have one.

Y+	Yes. They take them. And + indicates: "No limitations" on number – per day, per transaction, per customer, per lifetime (other than those listed on coupon); bring as many prescriptions as you want – just make sure you have a coupon for each. And make sure you are matching the terms on the coupon – TRANSFER if it only covers TRANSFER; NEW or TRANSFER if that's what it says. Transfers never apply to transferring from one location of same chain to another location.
Y	Yes. They take them.
Y*	Yes. They take them. But there may be some limitations or variation on "matching" the offer (short of what pharmacy offering coupon would give you) that vary by pharmacy location and their pharmacy manager or the pharmacist and tech/clerk on duty that hour. For example, CVS will give you $20 gift card when you use Giant Eagle Rx coupon that is worth up to $30 (saying that most gas tanks don't hold more than 20 gallons and they don't sell gas; one pharmacist did say they'd consider giving me $30 credit if I brought in a gas receipt showing 30 gallons purchased). Another example: Some pharmacists at CVS (such as floater Kevin Horsefield) will try to only let you use ONE coupon even when there is no "Limit ONE per customer" on the coupon such as those from Target (which Target imposes NO per customer, per day, etc. limit upon).
Y (limited #)	LIMITATIONS on # PER DAY and/or # PER WEEK; most commonly 1 per day (or 1 or so per week). But no "lifetime limit" (as with Kroger; see red below); and no major limitation such as 1 per 6 months (see Walgreen's about its own coupons; and Giant Eagle's new stance on competitor coupons since December 2009 -- replacing what had been the best competitor Rx coupon policy of any supermarket in the region).
**	MAJOR LIMITATIONS: TWICE/year (or once per 6 months) For example, CVS will only accept one Walgreen's coupon per 6 months (because that's the rule Walgreen's has); though some CVS pharmacists will take one per transaction. This is despite their new campaign in Central Ohio that allows competitor coupons to be used every month (even on refills) to keep you from transferring them away. Giant Eagle had been honoring an unlimited number of competitor coupons up until they started in December 2009 what my Giant Eagle pharmacist said was a "pilot program" (see how much business they lose I guess and measure whether it's worth it to match again). Anyhow, they still take an UNLIMITED number of their OWN Rx coupons (unlike Kroger or Walgreen's or Kmart). However, when it comes to COMPETITOR coupons, they will now only take ONE per SIX MONTHS ... that's TWO PER YEAR. But at least, unlike Kroger, they aren't trying to tell you that you've hit some "lifetime maximum" after 4 or so as their "Ask Pharmacist for Details" handout will tell you about. Walgreen's issues coupons (typically $25 gift cards for a TRANSFER of a prescription). However, I've been told by pharmacists at Walgreen's that either: (1) You are only allowed to use ONE of their coupons per lifetime – regardless how many prescriptions you might bring them ... or how many times in a year they issue a different coupon. However, another pharmacist at another location said: (2) You are only allowed to use ONE of their coupons for each time one is issued. So when one came out in February that expires in March, you can use ONE of those. And if another is issued in July that expires in August, you can use ONE of those. Some recent coupons indicate that if you have redeemed any Walgreen's pharmacy special in the past 6 months, then you are NOT eligible to use one of their Rx coupons.
***	1-a-day LIMITATION & LIFETIME LIMITATION (yes, they'll ban you from using any more Rx coupons ... competitors' or theirs ... after "introductory offer" -- "3 or 4" times to get to know the pharmacy) Kroger: ONE coupon per customer per day, according to most recent version of the policy I've seen for the Great Lakes region of Kroger (Columbus, Ohio and most parts of Ohio except for Cincinnati/Dayton; and Michigan). But you might get banned from using coupons at Kroger pharmacy ever again after some arbitrary number of coupon redemptions (whether they were issued by Kroger or one of their competitors). Kroger advertises in the newspaper and on signs in their pharmacies: "We Gladly Accept All Competitors Coupons." However, they have a full one-page explanation (of their 2008 version of their Rx coupon policy) that says they will accept only ONE coupon per customer per day and to ask the pharmacist for details. They promised the Better Business Bureau to make this available upon request in an effort to settle a complaint by a consumer about their false/misleading advertising. On the most recent copy of this I saw, it said that this is only honored as an "introductory offer" and that it's to give people a chance to try out Kroger Pharmacy and that they reserve the right to limit how many coupons they'll accept and that 3 or 4 visits to a pharmacy should be enough to help you decide whether you want to keep doing business there. Also, I've heard from former a former Kroger pharmacy employee that besides Kroger banning one customer from ever shopping at Kroger again over his use of coupons at their pharmacy, Kroger has also told many other customers they are not allowed to use any more coupons at their pharmacies including another friend of mine. In their defense, a more recent version of the sign at their pharmacy removed the word "gladly" and the word "all" from "We Gladly Accept All Competitors Coupons" and adds the phrase "Ask Pharmacist for Details." Just don't complain about the service you get from their pharmacy manager or you might get banned from ever shopping at a Kroger and told you'll be arrested for criminal trespass if you do. If you don't like this policy of Kroger's, you can contact Bill Sheridan (Pharmacy Merchandise Manager) at the Kroger Great Lakes office in Westerville, Ohio (which oversees Kroger stores in all of Michigan plus most of Ohio except for Cincinnati/Dayton). It was his idea to impose the 1-a-day limit at all stores in his region and he implemented it in Autumn 2006 -- taking things further to set up a "lifetime limit" the next year even under scrutiny of the Better Business Bureau which asked that Kroger Pharmacies provide customers with a written copy of their "We Gladly Accept All Competitor Coupons" policy and its limitations. Prior to 2006, there had been no daily/lifetime limit except at a few stores where pharmacy managers made up their own limits contrary to what their zone managers had deemed appropriate. Sheridan's phone # is (614) 898-3200.  If you prefer to email, try "bsheridan@kroger.com " or "wsheridan@kroger.com" or "sheridan@kroger.com" or something like that. Be careful, though.  If you complain too much, he might have James Sheets send you a letter that says you're banned from ever entering a Kroger store anywhere ever again and that you'll be arrested for criminal trespassing if you do. ;-)  He's done it before.
	TBD. Reserved for any policy about competitor coupons worse than what Kroger is using in their Great Lakes region.
NO	NO. Simple. No they don't (and they don't pretend to with a sign that says "We Gladly Accept All Competitor's Coupons" and then hassle you in more ways than you can imagine before banning you from using any more Rx coupons -- theirs or a competitors).

? = Not sure. Need to make confirmation.

 Maijer Pharmacy:  During the few visits I made to Meijer Pharmacy, I had awful customer service experiences.  They claimed to take competitor coupons but gave lots of hassles about it.  And they hassled you about using their own coupons.  So I'm not sure what their current policy is.  My suggestion:  Avoid Meijer.  It's not worth dealing with them to get a $10 gift card or whatever.

More reasons to use an
Rx coupon at a competitor

If a pharmacy has limitations on your redemption of their Rx coupons but they are not printed on the coupon (they only appear at that pharmacy on signs or pieces of paper -- usually memos from their home office -- or perhaps that local pharmacist just made up her/his own limitations/hassles), you may find it easier to use those coupons with fewer limitations, if any, and less hassle at one of their competitors. You may also find you like the customer service and pharmacist(s) at that location better and make them your new main pharmacy.

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