In a disturbing development, it has been discovered that many pharmacies in the United States have been sharing medical data with police officers and other law enforcement authorities without proper legal authorization.
A recent inquiry conducted by the watchdog organization ‘The Center for Public Integrity’ revealed this troubling trend, uncovering that pharmacist corporations across the nation have been distributing confidential information about patients’ prescription histories to law enforcement personnel without a warrant.
As reported by the organization, the practice has become common among most major pharmacies to comply with authorities, thereby enabling them to carry out investigations into alleged prescription drug abuse or prescription fraud. Although the numbers are hard to assess, the inquiry revealed that some pharmacies could have shared millions of patient records with law enforcement agencies without proper legal justification.
The lack of transparency and accountability in such practices, however, has caused deep concern among many civil rights groups. They argue that the use of confidential data for non-medical purposes is a violation of patient right to privacy and is also an infringement of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitutional protection of privacy and freedom from unreasonable search and seizures.
Concerned citizens and civil rights activists are now calling for stronger rules and regulations to regulate and monitor the sharing of confidential medical data by pharmacies with law enforcement officials. While most governments and legislatures are yet to decide on such measures, some states such as California have already enacted laws to prohibit the dissemination of medical records without a court order or warrant.
The findings of the inquiry have indeed highlighted an important issue that requires urgent attention. It is highly essential to protect the patient-pharmacist relationship and ensure that confidential medical data are not misused or mishandled. With the passage of stricter laws and regulations, it is hoped that the important privacy of individuals will be safeguarded.
In a disturbing development, it has been discovered that many pharmacies in the United States have been sharing medical data with police officers and other law enforcement authorities without proper legal authorization.
A recent inquiry conducted by the watchdog organization ‘The Center for Public Integrity’ revealed this troubling trend, uncovering that pharmacist corporations across the nation have been distributing confidential information about patients’ prescription histories to law enforcement personnel without a warrant.
As reported by the organization, the practice has become common among most major pharmacies to comply with authorities, thereby enabling them to carry out investigations into alleged prescription drug abuse or prescription fraud. Although the numbers are hard to assess, the inquiry revealed that some pharmacies could have shared millions of patient records with law enforcement agencies without proper legal justification.
The lack of transparency and accountability in such practices, however, has caused deep concern among many civil rights groups. They argue that the use of confidential data for non-medical purposes is a violation of patient right to privacy and is also an infringement of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitutional protection of privacy and freedom from unreasonable search and seizures.
Concerned citizens and civil rights activists are now calling for stronger rules and regulations to regulate and monitor the sharing of confidential medical data by pharmacies with law enforcement officials. While most governments and legislatures are yet to decide on such measures, some states such as California have already enacted laws to prohibit the dissemination of medical records without a court order or warrant.
The findings of the inquiry have indeed highlighted an important issue that requires urgent attention. It is highly essential to protect the patient-pharmacist relationship and ensure that confidential medical data are not misused or mishandled. With the passage of stricter laws and regulations, it is hoped that the important privacy of individuals will be safeguarded.
