What would you have done? Question regarding HIPAA

Not that my opinion matters a lot, but your pharmacist was right technically. Unless the wife indicates so, the husband shouldnt be recieving counseling on her prescription. This is the equivalent of a mother picking up medication for her daughter 18 years and older. . . and you counseling the mom on what her daughter was taking.

In my opinion Clonidine is problematic anywhere (not just elderly), and you were right to be concerned. I also have to ask, how often is it prescribed to young people anyway.

 

The Pharmacist Letter

I think you were fine and if the patient is not well, speaking to the spouse is fine.

 

Since the wife is elderly is the husband considered one of her caregivers? If so then that's a HIPAA exception and you're within the law, probably still liable if a problem arises down the road, but within the law.

 

Well, as we all know, everything that leaves the pharmacy is the responsibility of the pharmacist in charge. I agree that you did a good thinking making the emphasis on the SIG. Even if it would step on a technicality of HIPAA in the process, I'd do the same. We regularly inform next of kin that the patient shouldn't have alcohol etc. with x medication, I don't see how an emphasis on the SIG would really be such a huge deal.

 

I don't think you did anything wrong, did your pharmacist explain why he thought you were in violation of HIPAA?

 

To me the OP is in the right. If a patient has another person drop off and then pick up a new rx, the patient is implicitly accepting that their representative will be counseled on the new med so that the information can be passed on back to the patient (mostly intact we hope...nothing like the medication counseling telephone game). Unless of course the patient has contacted the pharmacy and says they do not want the representative to be counseled.

It seems to me that twester stayed well within the bounds of HIPAA as interpreted in Old Timer's quote from The Pharmacist Letter.

 

if you acted in good faith and in accordance to HIPPA
then you are fine...

you have to consider the extent of the matter
(i.e. if you were counseling on mood stablizer or STD meds to
their significant other...then you have step back and evaluate the situation again)

 

I currently work in an emergency room and our yearly HIPAA compliance review states that if a friend/family member requests/receives PHI on the patient's behalf then it is not a violation of HIPAA.
The counsultation with the patient's husband, in my mind, would fall under that category. I think that the pharmacist does not understand HIPAA fully... and who does... and wants to cover himself.