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N304 Remark Code: Dispensed Date Missing or Invalid

N304 means the date a drug, supply, or item was dispensed was missing, incomplete, or invalid. For dispensed items, the payer uses this date to confirm when the patient received the product and whether coverage applied at that time.

Quick facts

Code
N304 (RARC N304)
Status
Active In use since December 2, 2004.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The supplier or pharmacy must correct the dispensed date; the patient is not responsible for the adjustment.
Official description
Missing/incomplete/invalid dispensed date.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N304 means

When a supplier, pharmacy, or clinic hands an item or drug to a patient, the date that happened matters for coverage. Payers check it against eligibility, order dates, rental periods, and quantity limits. N304 means that date wasn’t on the claim or couldn’t be accepted.

Most payers pair N304 with CARC 16. If the correct date turns out to fall outside coverage, a different reason, such as CARC 27, may follow on reprocessing.

Common causes

  • The dispensed date was left blank and only the order or billing date was sent.
  • The date reported is before the physician order or prescription date.
  • A future date was entered because the claim was created before delivery was confirmed.
  • For items shipped to the patient, the ship date and delivery date were confused, and the one reported doesn’t follow the payer’s rule.
  • Refills or recurring supplies carried the original dispensing date rather than the current one.

What to do

  1. Pull the delivery ticket, proof of delivery, or dispensing log for the item.
  2. Confirm the date the patient actually received it and compare it with the order date.
  3. Apply the payer’s rule on which date to report for shipped versus picked-up items.
  4. Correct the date on the claim line and in your dispensing record.
  5. Resubmit with frequency code 7 and the original claim number.

How to prevent it

Only create claims for dispensed items after proof of delivery is on file, and pull the date directly from the delivery record. Edit for dispensed dates that are in the future, before the order date, or outside the patient’s eligibility period. Suppliers who ship regularly should document their date convention per payer so staff apply it consistently. See our eligibility guide for related coverage-date issues.

Codes that may appear with N304

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): Missing or invalid information; N304 names the dispensed date.
  • PR-27 (Expenses incurred after coverage terminated.): Can appear if the corrected date falls after coverage ended.
  • N338 (Missing/incomplete/invalid shipped date.): The shipped date, rather than the dispensed date, is the problem.
  • N331 (Missing/incomplete/invalid physician order date.): The physician order date is the problem.
  • N388 (Missing/incomplete/invalid prescription number.): The prescription number is missing or invalid.

N304 FAQ

Is the dispensed date the same as the date of service?

For many dispensed items it effectively is. Payers commonly treat the date the item was delivered or dispensed to the patient as the service date, but rules for shipped items vary.

Can the dispensed date be before the order date?

Generally no. Dispensing before a valid order exists is a common reason for date edits and possible compliance concerns.

Which providers see N304 most?

DME suppliers, pharmacies billing on medical claims, and practices that dispense items or drugs to patients.