Correct verbage when announcing waiters in retail?

[crossurfingers]

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What is the correct way to announce prescriptions are ready for customers waiting in the store in regards to HIPAA privacy laws? It seems like there is a lot of gray area.

Examples:

"Party for Smith, please return to pharmacy"
"Order is ready for Smith"

I was told that the second way is a HIPAA violation but the first way isn't. To me though, the second way seems more vague (could be order ready for another department like photo) vs. announcing the pharmacy part, but I get that the "order is ready" part could be telling. In some of the Walgreens Wellness stores they have monitors that display patient last names when their order is ready. And what about the automated phone calls that go out when prescriptions are ready? Those last two are obviously not HIPAA violations since they are put in place by corporate but they seem to be conveying the exact same information. Opinions?

 

[farmadiazepine]

Yo Kristine your Percocet is ready come back to the pharmacy.

I say "Prescription is ready for Tom Samuel" when I'm at CVS. When I'm at my community pharmacy I yell out "I have a WAITER ON TOP" and the lovely amazing front store girls get it for me and take care of everything.

 

[ethyl]

I don't have time to utter that many words. I just yell "Ready for Smith". If I say "Order ready for Smith" I feel too much like McDonalds.

 

[Momus]

I wouldn't say last name and first name. It's announcing to the whole store that person has an rx to pick up. Either the first name or last name only.

 

[Wheresmyaricept]

It's not HIPAA that you have to worry about while paging because anyone with a brain wouldn't page "Brian Reynolds your prescription for valtrex is ready".

What the over zealous store managers and pharmacy managers mean to say is that it is possibly a violation of walgreen's privacy policy. You know, that prompt on the register you blow past when you ring out a new patient. You can page "order for smith ready". Just don't say "in the pharmacy" because now you've given away that they have a prescription for pick up. You can say "party for smith please return to the pharmacy" because there is no indication that there was a prescription to be picked up. It's more vague that way and people usually come up to the consultation window and ask "DID U PAIJ MEH?" But if anyone talks to you about it, just try to leave out any identifying information indicating this person is picking up a prescription.

Because we don't want the whole store knowing mrs smith is sick and now the town will speculate she has herpes and the whole county will know and she'll sue walgreens for ruining her life. Pretty much what it comes down to.

 

[OmiPharmD]

In some of the Walgreens Wellness stores they have monitors that display patient last names when their order is ready.

Last name? When I got my last prescription filled it said 1st name and last name 1st initial only. No last name. And when they did have to page someone overhead it was "ready for Smith."

 

[kvl1027]

I would just remember that the law doesn't care whether someone "thinks" or "feels" that their privacy was violated. Saying a patient's last name along with "you prescription is ready" is not a HIPAA violation. Corporate policy may dictate a particular protocal that is more strict than HIPAA.

 

[zelman]

I say "[Last Name] to pharmacy pick-up. [different pronunciation of last name]."

Avoid full name. Avoid the word "prescription". As a general rule, use as little info as possible. For example, when someone has expired insurance on file and you leave them a voicemail, there is no reason to say they have a prescription being filled. Just "the insurance information I have is out of date."

 

[Dr Wario]

Wow seriously? You are standing in line at a pharmacy register, what the hell would other people think you are doing? Announcing "prescription is ready for Smith" is not a violation of HIPAA or any other privacy regulation, if a person is angry, they simply should not leave the house because their privacy is violated in many more significant ways the second they walk out of their door. Of course you don't say what drug they are picking up because that is not necessary, but giving enough information so that you don't sound like a total *****, is.

 

[Ackj]

I very rarely page someone when their rx is ready, only time is if we're about to close and they haven't picked up yet. If there is an issue like out of stock/insurance reject/dur where it won't be ready in a few minutes, I'll say "party for Smith please come back to the pharmacy." Usually if you're a waiter, you'll come back around in a few minutes, and I can say "All set for you Mr. Smith" or if it isn't ready, have him take a seat and let him know when it is ready. It's not like the store is this vast space that you'll consume hours of your time in. You might have a few things to grab, or you'll just kind of wander around to kill a bit of time, and then you'll come back to get what you're waiting for. If you're in such a hurry that you would need to know the second that I finish and get paged, just hang out near the pharmacy, don't wander off.

 

[Amicable Angora]

Wow seriously? You are standing in line at a pharmacy register, what the hell would other people think you are doing? Announcing "prescription is ready for Smith" is not a violation of HIPAA or any other privacy regulation, if a person is angry, they simply should not leave the house because their privacy is violated in many more significant ways the second they walk out of their door. Of course you don't say what drug they are picking up because that is not necessary, but giving enough information so that you don't sound like a total *****, is.

It's a sign of the times... a sign of the times...

 

[Sparda29]

I don't announce if anything is ready. I toss the bag into the bin.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Well, I was always taught to be vague, when announcing on the over head, to use only last names, to say order instead of prescription. When leaving a phone message to say nothing other than asking the person to call the pharmacy (not to say anything about a prescription or insurance.) I don't know if that amount of vagueness is required by HIPAA, but in 99% of cases, it really is all that is needed-unless there is some emergency situation going on, there is no need to announce anything more than that. I don't see any HIPAA violation with either example you gave.