Pharmacy blatantly violating HIPPA

[RxMTM]

I went to get some medications at a pharmacy the other day. I was in line with 3 people behind me. The technician pulls out my medications and has them skewn out on the counter with the manufacture labels facing out with the names in clear sight. He then calls out the name of a certain medication loud enough for all the people behind me to hear. He then repeats the name of the medication and tells the pharmacist that she will need to counsel on that certain one.

So I walk to the counseling window but the pharmacist says that I should come back to the counter. (This is where she has the computer terminal and will be logging in her counseling session) She then begins to tell me the indication for the medication (again she is loud enough for the people in line to hear everything). Additionally, she READS the instructions of the medication to me directly off the bottle and the computer screen. It seemed as if she had no knowledge of anything about the medications since she read everything. It was obvious that I could have read the directions form the bottle label myself. Then she does a few clicks on her computer and says bye. Again, i want to emphasize that she didn't want me at the counseling window but at the register since a computer was there for her to read from. Also that this took away my privacy by putting me in front of all the other patients.

I was in utter shock that a pharmacist (her tag said 25 years with the company) had no idea how to counsel on the medications she was giving me. Also, that she or the technician had no regard for my privacy. I am wondering if I should make a report on this pharmacy or if I have overreacted. What I am worried about is that they will do this to other patients that may have very sensitive information.

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[skeksis]

all of a sudden we love reporting pharmacies and mentioning it here. *HIPAA.

 

[MountainPharmD]

I was in utter shock that a pharmacist (her tag said 25 years with the company) had no idea how to counsel on the medications she was giving me. Also, that she or the technician had no regard for my privacy. I am wondering if I should make a report on this pharmacy or if I have overreacted. What I am worried about is that they will do this to other patients that may have very sensitive information.

No surprise here. Your first clue is the name tag with 25 years on it. I have found that most pharmacists who graduated longer than 10 years ago do not have the skills or the desire to do patient counseling. Based on my experience pharmacists that have graduated over 20 years ago are little more than pour and count pharmacists who still think patient counseling is not our job.

Please do not blast me for calling out the older pharmacists. They were trained far different than we are today. I am sure there are many good ones who have keep their knowledge and skills sharp. However, I have worked with many and the knowledge gap is huge.

Your description sounds exactly like my pharmacy. We are a little bread box stuck in the corner. We hardly have enough room to move around. When its busy the tiny waiting room is shoulder to shoulder. Everyone can hear every thing I say. I have brought up my concerns to coroporate and they could care less. Honestly I wish someone would file a HIPPA complaint with the State Board and my company. It is the only was things will get changed.

 

[Sparda29]

No surprise here. Your first clue is the name tag with 25 years on it. I have found that most pharmacists who graduated longer than 10 years ago do not have the skills or the desire to do patient counseling. Based on my experience pharmacists that have graduated over 20 years ago are little more than pour and count pharmacists who still think patient counseling is not our job.

Please do not blast me for calling out the older pharmacists. They were trained far different than we are today. I am sure there are many good ones who have keep their knowledge and skills sharp. However, I have worked with many and the knowledge gap is huge.

Your description sounds exactly like my pharmacy. We are a little bread box stuck in the corner. We hardly have enough room to move around. When its busy the tiny waiting room is shoulder to shoulder. Everyone can hear every thing I say. I have brought up my concerns to coroporate and they could care less. Honestly I wish someone would file a HIPPA complaint with the State Board and my company. It is the only was things will get changed.

Yeah, the old guys seem to care more about trivial bull**** like "pharmaceutical elegance".

 

[KARM12]

I went to get some medications at a pharmacy the other day. I was in line with 3 people behind me. The technician pulls out my medications and has them skewn out on the counter with the manufacture labels facing out with the names in clear sight. He then calls out the name of a certain medication loud enough for all the people behind me to hear. He then repeats the name of the medication and tells the pharmacist that she will need to counsel on that certain one.

So I walk to the counseling window but the pharmacist says that I should come back to the counter. (This is where she has the computer terminal and will be logging in her counseling session) She then begins to tell me the indication for the medication (again she is loud enough for the people in line to hear everything). Additionally, she READS the instructions of the medication to me directly off the bottle and the computer screen. It seemed as if she had no knowledge of anything about the medications since she read everything. It was obvious that I could have read the directions form the bottle label myself. Then she does a few clicks on her computer and says bye. Again, i want to emphasize that she didn't want me at the counseling window but at the register since a computer was there for her to read from. Also that this took away my privacy by putting me in front of all the other patients.

I was in utter shock that a pharmacist (her tag said 25 years with the company) had no idea how to counsel on the medications she was giving me. Also, that she or the technician had no regard for my privacy. I am wondering if I should make a report on this pharmacy or if I have overreacted. What I am worried about is that they will do this to other patients that may have very sensitive information.

Instead of reporting to the board, why didn't you say something when this was going on to the pharmacist, that you wished to talk at the window?

 

[Old]

No surprise here. Your first clue is the name tag with 25 years on it. I have found that most pharmacists who graduated longer than 10 years ago do not have the skills or the desire to do patient counseling. Based on my experience pharmacists that have graduated over 20 years ago are little more than pour and count pharmacists who still think patient counseling is not our job.

Please do not blast me for calling out the older pharmacists. They were trained far different than we are today. I am sure there are many good ones who have keep their knowledge and skills sharp. However, I have worked with many and the knowledge gap is huge.

Your description sounds exactly like my pharmacy. We are a little bread box stuck in the corner. We hardly have enough room to move around. When its busy the tiny waiting room is shoulder to shoulder. Everyone can hear every thing I say. I have brought up my concerns to coroporate and they could care less. Honestly I wish someone would file a HIPPA complaint with the State Board and my company. It is the only was things will get changed.

Can't speak for all the "old" people on here but here is my 2 cents- When I started counseling wasn't mandatory but I tried to help people and answer questions. I was thrilled to explain a disease state and the medicine they were taking, how it works etc. However, 99% of the time at the end of my information session with them I would look at a blank stare and the question" Is that my water pill or my sugar pill? Thats all most people wanted to know. Still the case in alot of situations. Gap in knowledge- maybe somewhat but it will happen to you also. Do you really remember everything from college? Everything? How many years since you have been out. Think your memory will improve when you never use the knowledge? Personally I think in a few years the grads coming may think the same of you.

 

[Dave4468]

Instead of reporting to the board, why didn't you say something when this was going on to the pharmacist, that you wished to talk at the window?

Because the OP was embarrassed...

#1 - it draws more attention to you from the people around you to even mention it to the pharmacist
#2 - the pharmacist seemed like she didn't care or know what she was doing, credibility is lost right there.

The whole situation is uncomfortable, and its situations like this that discourage patients from asking questions or truly trying to understand their medication. Although I am still pre pharm, I have seen the contrasting difference while volunteering/shadowing/shopping at various pharmacies. I hope you do report the pharmacy, something needs to be done. And as MountainPharmD has said, probably the only way something will get done is if more people complain and take action.

 

[SHC1984]

I don't go to the pharmacy often, but if I do I always go in ASAP and pick up my RX and leave ASAP. I never ask questions or have any compliants. I wonder how the hell do people come up with all this crap to complain about, just pick up your **** and get the f*ck out!

 

[Its Z]

but unlike charlotte nc, people in phoenix are thinner.

hth.

 

[SHC1984]

but unlike charlotte nc, people in phoenix are thinner.

hth.

Yes there are tons of fat a** in Charlotte and in Atlanta, but luckily I am NOT one of them! 😛

 

[Its Z]

Yes there are tons of fat a** in Charlotte and in Atlanta, but luckily I am NOT one of them! 😛

i dont believe you

 

[SHC1984]

i dont believe you

well, if you had facebook we could be friends on there. But yes, I did get FATTER, but I am still NOT fat. My BMI was a 17.5 when I started pharmacy school and now its a like a 19.3! 😱 So I am no longer "skinny" but I am NOT fat either. thank you very much! 😛 But I will lose weight and become 17.5 again when I get my PharmD and can afford an nice personal trainer!

 

[SHC1984]

oh yeah and what does weight got to do with people complaining in the pharmacy? r you trying to say that fat people complain more or less? lol...

 

[Pharmavixen]

No surprise here. Your first clue is the name tag with 25 years on it. I have found that most pharmacists who graduated longer than 10 years ago do not have the skills or the desire to do patient counseling. Based on my experience pharmacists that have graduated over 20 years ago are little more than pour and count pharmacists who still think patient counseling is not our job.

Class of '86 here. Where do you think notions of pharmaceutical care came from, which you were taught? The older pharmacists you've worked with might be burnout cases, but it's decades of progressive pharmacists much older than you - and even me - who did the research, wrote the papers, and helped create modern pharmacy practice as it is today.

 

[Quiksilver]

I went to get some medications at a pharmacy the other day. I was in line with 3 people behind me. The technician pulls out my medications and has them skewn out on the counter with the manufacture labels facing out with the names in clear sight. He then calls out the name of a certain medication loud enough for all the people behind me to hear. He then repeats the name of the medication and tells the pharmacist that she will need to counsel on that certain one.

So I walk to the counseling window but the pharmacist says that I should come back to the counter. (This is where she has the computer terminal and will be logging in her counseling session) She then begins to tell me the indication for the medication (again she is loud enough for the people in line to hear everything). Additionally, she READS the instructions of the medication to me directly off the bottle and the computer screen. It seemed as if she had no knowledge of anything about the medications since she read everything. It was obvious that I could have read the directions form the bottle label myself. Then she does a few clicks on her computer and says bye. Again, i want to emphasize that she didn't want me at the counseling window but at the register since a computer was there for her to read from. Also that this took away my privacy by putting me in front of all the other patients.

I was in utter shock that a pharmacist (her tag said 25 years with the company) had no idea how to counsel on the medications she was giving me. Also, that she or the technician had no regard for my privacy. I am wondering if I should make a report on this pharmacy or if I have overreacted. What I am worried about is that they will do this to other patients that may have very sensitive information.

Is it me or does anyone else get annoyed when people spell HIPAA wrong?

No offense but I don't think people incidentally hearing your conversations are grounds of a HIPAA violation. I think you need to understand HIPAA a little better.

 

[Old Timer]

Quick, we need the Cone of Silence:

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSImlt5wG8Y&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]

 

[RxMTM]

I don't go to the pharmacy often, but if I do I always go in ASAP and pick up my RX and leave ASAP. I never ask questions or have any compliants. I wonder how the hell do people come up with all this crap to complain about, just pick up your **** and get the f*ck out!

I didn't ask for counseling. Nor did I ask the technician or pharmacist to call the drug name and what it is used for out loud. Do you think I wanted them to do this? The pharmacist assumed that I was ignorant and proceeded to embarrass me in front of other customers and felt like she was getting away with it.

 

[skeksis]

Is it me or does anyone else get annoyed when people spell HIPAA wrong?

I do. "HIPPA" is one vowel away from me thinking of getting some stalks of celery and heading to a waterhole in Africa to feed something...

 

[RxMTM]

I do. "HIPPA" is one vowel away from me thinking of getting some stalks of celery and heading to a waterhole in Africa to feed something...

There are some negative people that just like to throw in comments for no good reason. Actually there is an abundance of people like you.

 

[scoobygrl79]

I went to get some medications at a pharmacy the other day. I was in line with 3 people behind me. The technician pulls out my medications and has them skewn out on the counter with the manufacture labels facing out with the names in clear sight. He then calls out the name of a certain medication loud enough for all the people behind me to hear. He then repeats the name of the medication and tells the pharmacist that she will need to counsel on that certain one.

So I walk to the counseling window but the pharmacist says that I should come back to the counter. (This is where she has the computer terminal and will be logging in her counseling session) She then begins to tell me the indication for the medication (again she is loud enough for the people in line to hear everything). Additionally, she READS the instructions of the medication to me directly off the bottle and the computer screen. It seemed as if she had no knowledge of anything about the medications since she read everything. It was obvious that I could have read the directions form the bottle label myself. Then she does a few clicks on her computer and says bye. Again, i want to emphasize that she didn't want me at the counseling window but at the register since a computer was there for her to read from. Also that this took away my privacy by putting me in front of all the other patients.

I was in utter shock that a pharmacist (her tag said 25 years with the company) had no idea how to counsel on the medications she was giving me. Also, that she or the technician had no regard for my privacy. I am wondering if I should make a report on this pharmacy or if I have overreacted. What I am worried about is that they will do this to other patients that may have very sensitive information.

🙁 sorry you were embarrassed. I'm sure that sucked...👎

 

[therxist]

I do. "HIPPA" is one vowel away from me thinking of getting some stalks of celery and heading to a waterhole in Africa to feed something...

Actually I don't mind the misspelling that much. It reminds me of the Hippo in that cartoon "Moto Moto, the name's so nice you say it twice". 🙂

 

[scoobygrl79]

But yes, I did get FATTER, but I am still NOT fat. My BMI was a 17.5 when I started pharmacy school and now its a like a 19.3! 😱 So I am no longer "skinny" but I am NOT fat either. thank you very much! 😛 But I will lose weight and become 17.5 again when I get my PharmD and can afford an nice personal trainer!

I'm sure you look great now considering anything under 18.4 is considered underweight (normal = 18.5-24.9). Guess I'm nice and bulky hanging ard 21...but I can't complain, I'm happy to have front & back.....eh, I'll call them "grabbables" 😎

 

[skeksis]

There are some negative people that just like to throw in comments for no good reason. Actually there is an abundance of people like you.

While you hide behind the internet, remember that I was responding to someone else, NOT you, and THAT was my good reason, OK? You do NOT know me. Nevertheless, since you want to engage me, I'll go ahead and advise you to get it right by 2013, so you don't look dumb afterward. 🙂

 

[Its Z]

I'm sure you look great now considering anything under 18.4 is considered underweight (normal = 18.5-24.9). Guess I'm nice and bulky hanging ard 21...but I can't complain, I'm happy to have front & back.....eh, I'll call them "grabbables" 😎

rule #1

 

[scoobygrl79]

rule #1

🙄 BTDT ...still picking up the pieces from THAT mess..😎

 

[Its Z]

🙄 BTDT ...still picking up the pieces from THAT mess..😎

what mess?

 

[aboveliquidice]

Pretty sure being overheard in a public place is not grounds for a violation.

Poor form, yes. Illegal, no.

 

[Quiksilver]

I didn't ask for counseling. Nor did I ask the technician or pharmacist to call the drug name and what it is used for out loud. Do you think I wanted them to do this? The pharmacist assumed that I was ignorant and proceeded to embarrass me in front of other customers and felt like she was getting away with it.

When I did retail I counseled people even if they denied it. I did it if I thought it was warranted and necessary. Imagine if a patient denied to be counseled on metronidazole and then went out partying. There are circumstances where professional obligation outweighs checking off that counseling box at the register.

Even though it annoyed me since it slowed down the pace, I know pharmacists that would counsel on EVERY new prescription regardless of who it was for, if they wanted it, and what medication it was. That is the law.

If you didn't want to be counseled you could have told the pharmacist you were a pharmacy student and I am sure she would have stopped.

I do. "HIPPA" is one vowel away from me thinking of getting some stalks of celery and heading to a waterhole in Africa to feed something...

Its good we have some conversationalists on this board. It would have been a bummer if you wanted to hunt them instead.

There are some negative people that just like to throw in comments for no good reason. Actually there is an abundance of people like you.

I hope you are not talking about me but the lesson is, your credibility will go out the window in the medical field if you don't know what you are talking about. Misspelling HIPAA annoys me. To get accusational about violating HIPAA and not know what is a violation and what is not is something a P1 should know since I am sure you have gone through HIPAA training more then once now. The pharmacist obviously wasn't the best in the business but what occurred was an incidental exposure of protected health information. Period.

 

[spacecowgirl]

The pharmacist assumed that I was ignorant and proceeded to embarrass me in front of other customers and felt like she was getting away with it.

I'm sorry you were embarrassed but it seems like you're taking it as a personal insult. It was unprofessional of her but unlikely to have been as intentional as you make it seem. 🙁

 

[Its Z]

Are we talking about the loveable seahorse Hippa?

 

[Quiksilver]

Are we talking about the loveable seahorse Hippa?

HIPPA looks preggers

 

[aboveliquidice]

HIPPA looks preggers

Big boned???

 

[spacecowgirl]

HIPPA looks preggers

Is HIPPA a boy?

 

[Its Z]

Hippa suffers from high BMI.

 

[Quiksilver]

Is HIPPA a boy?

the hair makes me think chick before dude. If Hippas a dude then he's pounding beers left and right with that gut.

 

[skeksis]

Are we talking about the loveable seahorse Hippa?

ohhh great day now, i love it!

 

[spacecowgirl]

the hair makes me think chick before dude. If Hippas a dude then he's pounding beers left and right with that gut.

Well, male seahorses are the ones that get "pregnant".

That abdominal girth indicates metabolic syndrome.

 

[Old Timer]

Well, male seahorses are the ones that get "pregnant".

That abdominal girth indicates metabolic syndrome.

Or way too much beer....