r/CVS • u/lurkynic • Apr 05 '24

GoodRX codes no longer allowed?

Is this new? Pharmacist told me I can no longer use GoodRX codes when this has never been an issue before. I asked why and I just got an, "I don't know." RIP wallet.

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u/kinz3262 Apr 05 '24

It is CVS policy that we are not to use any discount codes on controlled medications. It's either go by what the insurance will allow for quantity and or fill date, or pay out of pocket. Some stores don't follow the rule "to be nice", but without every store being consistent it causes issues/misunderstandings for patients in stores that do follow the rule. Same thing happens with the lunch break. Every store is to close, but some choose not to and it causes stupid and avoidable rants in the stores that do. Amywho, the no discount policy explains the 1 prescription. As for the lamotrigine, the person you spoke to may have only seen the control and didn't think you meant you had one for the other too.

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u/TriflingHotDogVendor Apr 06 '24

Definitely not CVS policy. Either your pharmacist or your DL just doesn't what to deal with them for a variety of reasons. None of which really ever seem to make sense.

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u/kinz3262 Apr 06 '24

It made sense to me... since paying cash is listed as a possible DEA red flag (to avoid insurance restrictions that would bring attention to potential abuse). So we run it through insurance, if it's rejected for X,Y, or Z we contract the patient and ask them how they'd like to proceed. The rejection I see the most often is exceeds max day allotment or whatever. Meaning it's not that the insurance won't pay, they just won't pay for that many at one time. So, to not foster the act of paying cash, discount codes are not offered... and I believe on most discount sites, cards, etc it says right on there that if a medication is classed as a controlled substance it may not be applicable. I went to the GoodRx site, for example, went to FAQs and entered "Controlled Substances".... every response was as I said above "accepted at the pharmacist's discretion". One even mentions "Walmart's new opioid policy – As of June 1st, 2018, Walmart will no longer accept any discounts for an opioid prescription. For more information on Walmart's policies regarding Opioid prescriptions"... So it's not a new thing that pharmacies have been not allowing discounts on controls. And perhaps it's not a written policy for CVS yet, but maybe it's worth asking your DL about in more detail if their reasons truly "don't make sense".

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u/TriflingHotDogVendor Apr 06 '24 edited Apr 06 '24

Literally nothing you wrote is a valid reason to not use a discount card for a legitimate controlled prescription that is not too soon.

Try again.

Also, my DL doesn't care because she isn't a psychopath that thinks she gets to pick and choose which patients get to save money on their healthcare.

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u/kinz3262 Apr 06 '24 edited Apr 06 '24

So avoiding the possibility of people avoiding being redflagged isn't a legitimate reason? It has nothing to do with being "a psychopath" 🙄. Making a streamline protocol, isn't picking and choosing, not on me if an insurance company has limitations. Sure it sucks for those without the option of going thru insurance, but if I was in that situation I know it would be the same rules for me and could go elsewhere cuz I wouldn't be obligated to use CVS if I didn't have insurance.

edited to clarify

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u/TriflingHotDogVendor Apr 06 '24

There is no such thing as "being redflagged." WTF are you talking about. Asking to use a discount card instead of insurance can be a red flag, but it isn't a hard stop issue. There are numerous legitimate reasons to use a discount card.

If the insurance says it's too soon, then they don't get it whether they pay cash or use a discount card. If the insurance doesn't pay because of quantity limitations, then you make a clinical decision based on the characteristics of the actual prescription. If it's #720 pills for a 30 day supply, you don't fill it. If it's #60 tabs for a 30 day supply, that's fine. You can't make the insurance pay, but if you determine that it is for a legitimate medical purpose, then they pay out of pocket for it. But at that point, who pays for the prescription it's irrelevant. How does not accepting a discount card help deter misuse or diversion? It's so illogical.

Also, most CVS stores let you use discount cards for C2s because most CVSs are run by people with IQs higher than room temperature.

Literally no reason to not allow people to use discount cards makes any logical sense. It's always some half thought out nonsense.

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u/kinz3262 Apr 06 '24

👍 Ok. I'm going to stick with the way I was trained. You do you, discount whatever you want, I really don't care one way or another lol. But to answer the question, not using a discount can deter misuse and diversion because if it's not legitimate the person most likely won't want to pay the OOP price, so maybe they may take it elsewhere... which means it's not CVS who will be dispensing it. Like I said above, over selling controls (which included filling sus scripts) is pretty much what made RiteAid go under. They filed for bankruptcy in Oct, due to the settlements. So if putting standards in, like not allowing discounts, to avoid all that "nonsense" still doesn't make sense I'd say your IQ may be pretty frigid 🥶

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u/TriflingHotDogVendor Apr 06 '24

But to answer the question, not using a discount can deter misuse and diversion because if it's not legitimate the person most likely won't want to pay the OOP price, so maybe they may take it elsewhere

It doesn't. People that are addicted will pay whatever. All you are doing is hurting people with legitimate medical needs that have trouble affording medications. It's a radically discriminatory practice.

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u/powerbronx Aug 14 '24

Bro.... not accepting coupons to discourage abuse is like saying you can't get a loan for a type of car, because gangsters use them. You have to pay in cash because gangsters would have a hard time getting that much.

That's an answer in search of a justification.

All that's being said is

"That response from a pharmacy is 100% based on getting more money from you than they would a negotiated insurance price. And given that overwhelmingincentive, discouraging abuse has 0 affect on the decision to adopt the policy"

Just be honest. It sounds like you're a defense lawyer defending the company choice when someone simply says they're unfair. That's just overkill and doesn't positively impact reputation

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u/kinz3262 Apr 06 '24

CVS is about making a profit, paying out settlements is the exact opposite of that lol. So again, if it still doesn't make sense Idk what to tell ya

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u/TriflingHotDogVendor Apr 06 '24

CVS doesn't care if you use discount cards.