To get your Walgreens prescription history for taxes, sign in to your Walgreens pharmacy account online or in the app, open Prescriptions, then Records, and pull a report for January 1 through December 31 of the tax year you need. You can also ask any Walgreens pharmacist to print a tax summary at the counter. The number that matters on the report is your out-of-pocket cost, which feeds the medical expense deduction on Schedule A if you itemize.
Pull the Report Online
Sign in to your Walgreens pharmacy account, select “Prescriptions” from the menu, and click “Records.” Set a custom date range covering the full calendar year, then print or save the report as a PDF.1Walgreens. Pharmacy Help
One limit trips people up. Walgreens keeps prescriptions visible online for 18 months from the last fill date, after which the records move to archival storage and disappear from your account.1Walgreens. Pharmacy Help If you are pulling the most recent tax year in January or February, the whole year is still there. Pulling records from two or more years back, the portal will not help.
Without an existing online account, you will need to create one and verify your identity before the records show up.
Use the App or the Pharmacy Counter
The Walgreens app works the same way. Open the app, go to your pharmacy profile, find the prescription records option, and select your date range. Save the file somewhere durable, because you may need it years after you file.
If you would rather not deal with the login, any Walgreens pharmacist or pharmacy technician can print a tax summary while you wait. Bring photo ID so staff can confirm you are the patient on the account. The in-store system sometimes reaches records beyond what the online portal shows, so if you are close to the 18-month cutoff, try the counter before filing a formal request.
Get Records Older Than 18 Months
For prescriptions that have aged off the portal, Walgreens requires a written request. Download the “Request to Access, Inspect or Obtain Protected Health Information” form from the Walgreens website, fill in your personal information and the date range you need, and select “Entire Prescription Record” in the description field.2Walgreens. Walgreens Access Form Mail or fax the completed form to the Custodian of Records at the address listed on the form and allow up to 15 business days for a response.
If any prescriptions ran through Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy rather than a retail store, note “Walgreens Specialty” in the description field so the records team pulls from that system.2Walgreens. Walgreens Access Form Specialty drugs tend to be expensive, and missing them from your report can drop a real deduction.
Records for a Spouse, Dependent, or Deceased Family Member
The IRS lets you include medical expenses paid for your spouse and dependents, not just your own.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S. Code 213 – Medical, Dental, Etc., Expenses So if you are deducting a family member’s prescriptions, you need their report too.
Walgreens lets you link adult family members (18 and older) to your account through the “Manage Account Access” page using their name as it appears in pharmacy records, date of birth, and a valid phone number.4Walgreens. Manage Account Access Once linked, you can view and print their history alongside yours.
For minor children, a parent can sign the Walgreens Access Form on the child’s behalf without additional documentation. A non-parent legal representative has to submit proof of legal authority, such as guardianship papers.2Walgreens. Walgreens Access Form
For a spouse’s records, the spouse has to authorize the release using the separate “Authorization for Release of Information to Third Party” form.5Walgreens. Authorization – for Release of Information to Third Party The simpler route is for your spouse to log in and pull their own report.
For a deceased family member whose final or amended return you are handling, the appointed personal representative of the estate has first priority to authorize release. If none has been appointed, a surviving spouse, adult child, parent, or next of kin can request the records.6Walgreens. Health Records and Billing Submit the Release of Information form with a copy of your photo ID. Questions about the process go to the Walgreens Privacy Office at (847) 236-6518.5Walgreens. Authorization – for Release of Information to Third Party
Read the Report Before You Total It Up
A Walgreens tax summary lists each transaction with the date filled, drug name and strength, total billed amount, insurance payment, and your out-of-pocket cost. Only the out-of-pocket column matters for your return. The total billed and insurance portions are not deductible.7Internal Revenue Service. Publication 502 (2025), Medical and Dental Expenses
Before you add up that column, strip out items that do not qualify:
- Toiletries, cosmetics, and general health products picked up at the pharmacy counter are not deductible even if they show on the report.
- Vitamins and supplements do not count unless a doctor prescribed them for a specific diagnosed condition.8Internal Revenue Service. Publication 502 (2025), Medical and Dental Expenses – Section: What Expenses Aren’t Includible?
- Over-the-counter medications bought without a prescription do not count. Insulin is the one exception.9Internal Revenue Service. Publication 502 (2025), Medical and Dental Expenses – Section: Medicines
- Amounts paid with an FSA or HSA cannot be claimed again, because those dollars already received a tax benefit.10Internal Revenue Service. Publication 502 (2025), Medical and Dental Expenses – Section: How Do You Treat Reimbursements?
Confirm the report covers January 1 through December 31. A report that starts mid-year undercounts your expenses. Fix any gaps with the pharmacy before you file.
Put the Numbers on Your Return
Prescription costs are part of the medical and dental expense deduction, claimed on Schedule A when you itemize. You cannot take it with the standard deduction.11Internal Revenue Service. Publication 502 (2025), Medical and Dental Expenses – Section: Introduction
The 7.5% AGI Floor
You can only deduct qualifying medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S. Code 213 – Medical, Dental, Etc., Expenses At an AGI of $80,000, the first $6,000 in medical expenses produces zero tax benefit; only amounts above $6,000 are deductible. With $7,500 in total qualifying expenses, your deduction would be $1,500.
Prescription costs alone rarely clear that hurdle. Combine them with other qualifying costs: doctor visits, dental work, hospital bills, medical equipment, insurance premiums you paid with after-tax dollars, and transportation to medical appointments.12Internal Revenue Service. Publication 502 (2025), Medical and Dental Expenses – Section: What Medical Expenses Are Includible?
Does Itemizing Beat the Standard Deduction?
The medical deduction only matters if your itemized total exceeds the standard deduction. For 2026, the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly, and $24,150 for heads of household.13Internal Revenue Service. IRS Releases Tax Inflation Adjustments for Tax Year 2026 If medical expenses plus state taxes, mortgage interest, and charitable contributions do not clear those thresholds, itemizing gives you nothing. Run the numbers before you spend time gathering documentation.
Add In Pharmacy Mileage
Trips to and from Walgreens to pick up prescriptions count as medical transportation. For 2026, the IRS allows 20.5 cents per mile for medical driving, plus parking fees and tolls.14Internal Revenue Service. 2026 Standard Mileage Rates Monthly pickups at a pharmacy 10 miles away work out to 240 round-trip miles, about $49. Small on its own, but it adds up when combined with clinic and hospital trips. Keep a simple log of dates and miles.
Prescriptions Filled at Other Pharmacies
Prescriptions filled at different Walgreens locations consolidate into a single report, because every store feeds the same central system. Transfers from a non-Walgreens pharmacy, or fills through a different chain or mail-order service, will not appear. Contact each pharmacy separately for a complete picture of your annual prescription spending.
How Long to Keep the Report
The IRS generally has three years from your filing date to audit a return.15Internal Revenue Service. IRS Audits That window can extend to six years when the IRS identifies a substantial error, though the longer period applies to significantly understated income rather than overstated deductions. Store the Walgreens report with the rest of that year’s tax records for at least three years after filing. If you claimed a large medical deduction, holding the records six years is safer.
Losing the documentation does not automatically disallow the deduction in an audit, but it makes proving the expense much harder. A digital copy in cloud storage and a printed backup give you reasonable protection.16Internal Revenue Service. Publication 502 (2025), Medical and Dental Expenses – Section: Recordkeeping