For Pharmacy Staff: Troubleshooting Tips for GoodRx Coupon Processing
As pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, you play an important role in ensuring that necessary medications and information are delivered with care. In your busy and demanding workflow, the last thing you need is something to complicate a patient interaction.
We strive to make each GoodRx transaction as smooth as possible, but we know that issues can come up. Our team of GoodRx Advocates shared the real-life issues pharmacy staff may encounter when processing GoodRx coupons — and how to resolve them.
Download in PDF format for reference in your pharmacy.
What if the price that comes up doesn’t match the price on the GoodRx coupon?
This can be a frustrating experience for both the patient and the pharmacist or technician. Price discrepancies can happen for a few reasons, and we want to help you quickly identify the issue. Here are some things to consider:
Did the patient bring in a coupon for the specific medication, dosage, form, or quantity prescribed?
Most of our pharmacy support requests can be easily fixed by helping pharmacists and technicians find the right coupon for their patients. Helping the patient find a coupon that matches their prescription will display the most accurate processing information and estimated price. These four items can affect the price of a medication:
Medication name
Dosage
Quantity
Form
Does the date on the coupon match the “fill date” of the prescription?
Prices on the date filled may differ from prices on the date of pick up. Since customers may print a coupon right before coming to the pharmacy or use a coupon directly from their smartphone, updating the “fill date” will provide the most up-to-date price. Likewise, if the coupon is outdated, the printed price may not match the price you see in the pharmacy. Prices change regularly and the coupon date can be found at the bottom of the online coupon.
Did the customer bring in a coupon for your specific pharmacy?
Prices can vary across pharmacies and zip codes. Helping the patient find the coupon for your specific pharmacy will display the most accurate estimated price.
Is the customer using a GoodRx discount card?
While physical GoodRx discount cards provide a general discount, a patient can only get the price shown online if they use a coupon from the app or website (either printed or on their phone).
Is the medication available from another manufacturer or is there another NDC number?
GoodRx uses claims data to show prices for the manufacturer that is most commonly dispensed in your area and at your pharmacy chain. Different manufacturers may have different prices depending on the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM). If you’ve confirmed that the medication, dose, form, quantity, and pharmacy on the coupon matches what you’re filling and the price still doesn’t match, check if you have any other equivalent NDCs in stock and try reprocessing the discount. Similarly, if you are using the NDC for a box that contains multiple individual packages, try inputting the NDC for the individual package instead (or vice versa).
What if the patient has multiple GoodRx coupons, but I don’t have the time?
To save time, the same GoodRx coupon or card can be used for different medications — but it may not provide the best price for every medication, depending on the contracted rates. We understand that running multiple coupons for different medications can take a lot of time and we’re actively working on improving the process. GoodRx partners with multiple PBMs, each with different contracted medication prices across various pharmacies. Every coupon has a different set of codes that corresponds to a specific PBM network, which determines the medication price.
If you decide to only use one GoodRx coupon or card for multiple prescriptions, please be aware that prices may not match what appears on our website. It’s worth noting that once a coupon is applied, it can usually be saved onto the patient’s profile so you won’t have to re-enter the information again in the future. Though patients with chronic conditions may save $5-10 on a single medication, it does add up over time — especially if they’re taking more than one medication on a regular basis. You could be helping a patient save hundreds of dollars over the course of a year.
What if a GoodRx pharmacy discount card doesn’t work for pet medications?
To process a coupon for a pet medication, please enter the vet’s DEA number when prompted for an NPI number. You may need to contact the vet to get this information. Human prescriptions require an NPI number to identify the prescriber. However, veterinarians only have DEA numbers. While a DEA number is typically only needed for controlled medications, it is the only prescriber number that will work for pet prescriptions.
Additionally, GoodRx coupons only work for human medications that are prescribed for pets. For example, you can use a GoodRx coupon for amoxicillin even if it’s prescribed for a pet, but you can’t use a GoodRx coupon for a pet’s medication that is not FDA-approved for humans. Pet-specific medications may only be available from specialty or compound pharmacies.
Only about 2% of pet owners have pet insurance, so a coupon is often the only way a pet parent can afford their loved one’s prescriptions.
Where can I find more support?
Our team is always available to answer questions and help you work through a complicated transaction. If you are calling from the pharmacy, please dial 1‑844‑233‑8244. We will help you resolve your issue as quickly as possible. Our average wait time is about 1 minute.
We also answer additional questions in our FAQs From Pharmacy Staff.
Download PDF
Save and print the GoodRx Pharmacy Troubleshooting Tips. Keep this reference in your pharmacy to make processing GoodRx prescription discount cards easier.
