Ethical questions: celebrity info, fake scripts, etc.

[HaleyRX]

Hi, ladies and gentlemen. I'm posting this here because I'd like to know what pharmacists think. As I work with more pharmacists, I'm finding out lots of interesting info. I understand that both of these examples are ethically wrong, I'm just wondering about the actual consequences.
1. A pharmacist I know mentioned that she wanted to try Nasonex. She said that she would just pick a random doctor from a clinic to put on the Rx for it if she decided to try it. I asked another pharmacist about this (hypothetically, of course..I am not saying anything to get anyone in trouble) and she said that is grounds for termination/suspension. I understand that legally she can't write herself a script, but what would happen? I'm sure there are probably pharmacists out there who do it. Wouldn't it also be insurance fraud if you file it on insurance?
2. Another pharmacist I have worked with before used to work for another big chain, and he said that he would often look up celebrities to see what meds they are on. He told a few examples, and I told him that I thought that was a violation. He said that unless you tell people outside the pharmacy, that it is okay. But isn't that still a privacy violation? I mean I would hate to be a celeb and know that all of my info is compromised because every pharmacy worker in America could see it.

So while both are clearly wrong, what could happen? I'm just very curious to know if people turn a blind eye to this...?

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[monsterbrain]

Hi, ladies and gentlemen. I'm posting this here because I'd like to know what pharmacists think. As I work with more pharmacists, I'm finding out lots of interesting info. I understand that both of these examples are ethically wrong, I'm just wondering about the actual consequences.
1. A pharmacist I know mentioned that she wanted to try Nasonex. She said that she would just pick a random doctor from a clinic to put on the Rx for it if she decided to try it. I asked another pharmacist about this (hypothetically, of course..I am not saying anything to get anyone in trouble) and she said that is grounds for termination/suspension. I understand that legally she can't write herself a script, but what would happen? I'm sure there are probably pharmacists out there who do it. Wouldn't it also be insurance fraud if you file it on insurance?
2. Another pharmacist I have worked with before used to work for another big chain, and he said that he would often look up celebrities to see what meds they are on. He told a few examples, and I told him that I thought that was a violation. He said that unless you tell people outside the pharmacy, that it is okay. But isn't that still a privacy violation? I mean I would hate to be a celeb and know that all of my info is compromised because every pharmacy worker in America could see it.

So while both are clearly wrong, what could happen? I'm just very curious to know if people turn a blind eye to this...?

Actually, I thought it was a privacy violation just to look up someone's information out of curiosity. I thought anytime you pulled up someone's profile it was only to conduct business for that specific person. But I could be mistaken. Can anyone clarify?

 

[sakigt]

Looking up patient info for anything other than treatment for that patient is a nono.

That includes personal curiosity.

 

[pancreas]

Sounds like a HIPAA violation if the pharmacist is pulling up celebrity files and looking through them. I work in a hospital and we were told on day one that we are not to look at charts/electronic records/whatever unless we are treating the patient. If we do not comply, we get fired. There have been people at the hospital (non-pharm employees) that got fired awhile back for looking at another employee's electronic medical file. And a few months ago a bunch of employees were fired for looking at Britney Spears' file at the hospital where she was being treated.

Looking through patient files/charts is nothing to fool around with. Medical professionals should act like, well, professionals. Everyone deserves privacy when it comes to medical records. Even celebrities.

 

[GatorRxGirl]

HIPAA is HIPAA is HIPAA. Celebs get their personal lives exploited all the time but you do NOT mess around with looking up their meds. This is not professional, not legal, and a big waste of time. Think of all the other things you could be doing at work than "OMG guess what Britney Spears is on"

 

[Farmercyst]

As for prescription fraud, if they audited the records and found that the doctor at said clinic did not indeed write an rx for the pharmacist in question then she's got BOP action to deal with most likely. Forging prescription, possession of a prescription medication without a valid prescription, and as mentioned probably insurance fraud as well for billing insurance for a medication without a valid order from a physician. Unlikely the BOP would take to kindly to that. Granted, they'd probably have to have a reason to initiate that kind of investigation. (Someone calls the ethics hotline or something.)

 

[FruitFly]

Looking up patient info for anything other than treatment for that patient is a nono.

That includes personal curiosity.

I agree. But the problem is that chain pharmacies consider any worker who is HIPAA trained to be allowed to access these records. It is unethical to access it out of curiosity, and it may even be some companies policies, however, I'd like to see that actually stated somewhere in a real company policy. Because there is not enough oversight/audits and checks within companies to make sure that pharmacy workers are adhering to these common-sense/yet non-explicit ethical rules. It appears that chain companies' drive to allow folks to fill prescriptions in various places and states is a benefit (sometimes even unasked for) which trumps the privacy of that patient from a snoop. Sadly, you fill your prescription at a corner pharmacy, and think it's staying on the corner... but if it's a chain pharmacy, it can be accessed by any pharmacy worker on every corner (within that chain) across America- so long as they are HIPAA trained... In essence, it is as if you have filled your prescription everywhere. Scary stuff. Celebrities may have added protection as public figures and snoops may even be caught due to watch-outs for that, but what about the average patient? It's like an interstate with no police cars...

 

[BidingMyTime]

I agree. But the problem is that chain pharmacies consider any worker who is HIPAA trained to be allowed to access these records. It is unethical to access it out of curiosity, and it may even be some companies policies, however, I'd like to see that actually stated somewhere in a real company policy. Because there is not enough oversight/audits and checks within companies to make sure that pharmacy workers are adhering to these common-sense/yet non-explicit ethical rules. It appears that chain companies' drive to allow folks to fill prescriptions in various places and states is a benefit (sometimes even unasked for) which trumps the privacy of that patient from a snoop. Sadly, you fill your prescription at a corner pharmacy, and think it's staying on the corner... but if it's a chain pharmacy, it can be accessed by any pharmacy worker on every corner (within that chain) across America- so long as they are HIPAA trained... In essence, it is as if you have filled your prescription everywhere. Scary stuff. Celebrities may have added protection as public figures and snoops may even be caught due to watch-outs for that, but what about the average patient? It's like an interstate with no police cars...

as has been mentioned, curiosity look-up is definitely against hipaa, whether or not its against company policy is irrelevant, because federal law & regulations always trump company policy. However, on a practical note, there is no easy way for a company to prevent this, obviously if its a celebrity, they can see everyone who access that person's profile, but there is no way for them to check out every John Doe to see who accessed their profile & then try to determine if that person had a legitimate reason to access their profile. Not to mention, most pharmacy personnel are pretty busy and they really don't have time for looking up all their friends & neighbors to see their medical records. I guess, if you really want to keep your pharmacy profile private, then find an independent pharmacy to fill it for you. Even car wrecks happen even when there are plenty of police on the interstate.

 

[HouTX]

2008

 

[confettiflyer]

Ultimately it boils down to the willingness to risk the consequences vs. potential reward.

Unless you're being paid off an ungodly amount of money for the info you're looking up, it isn't worth risking a couple hundred thousand+ in lost wages since your presence is digitally stamped forever subject to review at any point in the future.

At least a speeding ticket is just a couple hundred bucks and you can't get nailed for it 6 months down the road after the fact.

 

[Ackj]

Unless you're being paid off an ungodly amount of money for the info you're looking up, it isn't worth risking a couple hundred thousand+ in lost wages since your presence is digitally stamped forever subject to review at any point in the future.

So right as you're about to retire, cut a deal with TMZ (or whoever it is at that point in the future).

 

[BidingMyTime]

2008

oh wow, I didn't realize how old this thread was when I replied, I'm not even sure how I came onto it.

 

[maria1oh]

At a hospital 13 employees got in trouble for looking up a famous football player when he was admitted. They can track who you look up. Not sure if the chains can or not. Also at this hospital when I tried looking up a famous person it warned me that submitting the request I.T. Would be notified so I cancelled it.

 

[confettiflyer]

At a hospital 13 employees got in trouble for looking up a famous football player when he was admitted. They can track who you look up. Not sure if the chains can or not. Also at this hospital when I tried looking up a famous person it warned me that submitting the request I.T. Would be notified so I cancelled it.

Consider yourself lucky it gave you that option.

 

[Dred Pirate]

Actually, I thought it was a privacy violation just to look up someone's information out of curiosity. I thought anytime you pulled up someone's profile it was only to conduct business for that specific person. But I could be mistaken. Can anyone clarify?

google this and you can see how many people have been fired for this from all healthcare professions. People get canned all the time - stupid stupid stupid