Pharmacy Error & Surescripts Error Codes

The following codes are Surescripts network electronic prescribing transaction error codes. These errors occur when a prescription fails to reach the pharmacy due to an issue in transmission. Understanding these codes and their associated descriptions can help clarify why a prescription encountered an error and what steps are needed to resolve the issue.

Whenever you see "Pharmacy Error" (as shown in the example below), click the exclamation mark icon to view the specific error code and its description.

Common Error Codes

Error Code 900 – GENERIC ERROR

Description:
This is a general-purpose error code that may appear for various reasons. Most commonly, it indicates the pharmacy’s system is temporarily unavailable and unable to accept e-prescriptions. Another common cause is invalid patient demographic data—for example, a first name entered as "John?1" (containing special characters such as “?” or numbers) may trigger this error.

Where It Appears:
This error may display as PHARMACY ERROR in the ScriptSure interface, either by clicking the exclamation icon or via a popup during prescribing.

What to Do:

• Retry sending the prescription at a later time.
• Alternatively, send the prescription to a different pharmacy.
• If the error stems from incorrect patient data, update the patient’s demographics by removing any special characters or formatting issues.

Error Code 900 – NO DEA SCHEDULE

Description:
Some medications, such as Gabapentin, are classified as non-controlled substances in most states but are considered controlled substances in others. ScriptSure defaults to treating these medications as non-controlled and does not automatically adjust based on state-specific regulations. When this mismatch occurs, the system may return error 900 with a note referencing the missing DEA schedule.

What to Do:
When prescribing a medication like Gabapentin in a state where it is classified as controlled, you must manually adjust the classification in ScriptSure:

1. After selecting Gabapentin, proceed to the prescription preview screen.
2. In the top left of ScriptSure, locate the medication class designation.
3. Click the class designation and change it to an appropriate DEA Schedule, such as Schedule IV.

   (See the example below for reference.)      

Once updated, the medication will be flagged as Controlled, and you will be prompted to complete 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) in order to transmit the prescription.