HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PHARMACY INFORMATION
A. Typical Uses and Disclosures (without specific patient authorization)
The above graphic describes the primary ways we may use and disclose your pharmacy information. Not every use or disclosure will be listed, but hope it gives you an idea of the everyday uses and disclosures “behind the scenes” that are essential to the care you receive from us.
Health Information Exchange. As a pharmacy, we may share pharmacy information with other healthcare providers, as permitted by law, through Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) for treatment and healthcare operation purposes. HIE networks allow us to share pharmacy information with other healthcare providers involved in your treatment, such as your prescribers, so they can have access to the most up-to-date information about your health status and medication history. HIE networks help improve the quality of patient care, timely and accurate medication dispensing, and avoid medication errors. Under HIPAA, we are allowed to disclose your pharmacy information to HIE networks for treatment and healthcare operations purposes without obtaining written authorization from you. We participate in the SureScripts HIE. You can opt-out of the HIE by contacting optout@Surescripts.com. As a participant pharmacy, we are unable to opt-out on your behalf. Even if you opt-out of SureScripts HIE, public health reporting including Controlled Substances information may still be available to providers as part of the State Prescriptions Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP).
Reproductive Health Information. The HIPAA Privacy Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy includes additional protections for reproductive health information. This new Rule prohibits pharmacy information from being used or disclosed to investigate or impose liability on someone for the mere act of seeking, obtaining, providing, or facilitating legal reproductive healthcare. Pursuant to the new Rule, if we receive a request for pharmacy information from someone other than your or your representative, we ask the requestor to provide a signed attestation that states the requested use or disclosure of pharmacy information is not for the following prohibited purposes:
(1) to conduct a criminal, civil, or administrative investigation into any person for the mere act of seeking, obtaining, providing, or facilitating lawful reproductive healthcare;
(2) impose criminal, civil, or administrative liability on any person for the mere act of seeking, obtaining, providing, or facilitating lawful reproductive healthcare; or
(3) to identity any person for any purpose described in (1) and (2).
For example, if a government agency requested pharmacy information related to miscarriage treatment as part of health oversight activities, we would ask the requestor to provide a signed attestation that they are not seeking reproductive health information for prohibited purposes, including investigations into legal healthcare.