The Rx Coupon Matrix:

Which pharmacies
accept which coupons?

Updated June 2009

 

 

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+

Y**

Giant Eagle

Y+

Y+

Y+

Y+

Y+

?

Y+

Y+

Y+

Kroger

Y1***

Y1***

Y1***

Y1***

Y1***

?

Y1***

Y1***

Y1***

Wal-Mart

NO

NO

NO

Y

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

Kmart

Y1

Y1

Y1

Y1

Y1

?

Y1

Y1

Y1

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

Y****

 

Updated June 17, 2009.

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.

 

 

 

Ê

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 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).

Y1

LIMITATIONS on # PER DAY and/or # PER WEEK; most commonly 1 per day (or 1 or so per week).

 

Y**

MAJOR LIMITATIONS:
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.

 

Y1***

1-a-day LIMITATION
& LIFETIME LIMITATION (3 or 4? ... after 1-a-day limitation)
:

 

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. 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. 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.

Y****

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.

 

? = Not sure. Need to make confirmation.

 

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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