Posted by noa on April 14, 2003, at 18:42:24
I was in the pharmacy today and the new HIPA laws are in effect as of today. The way it affects the pharmacy really seems a bit overboard. The privacy statement--fine. The requirement that they not shout out the name of your med--fine. But then there was this woman there to pick up meds for her ailing father, who is in the hospital. She cannot pick them up unless he had already signed a permission release allowing them to release the meds (and therefore, the info) to her. Well, now does she have to go all the way back to the hospital to get the signature? Yikes. This would be required at whatever pharmacy she goes to in the US.
When we walked out of the place, I suggested she, ahem, take matters into her own hands, so to speak, and then take the signed form to another place. This is because the only risk is that the patient can bring a complaint against the pharmacy. I mean if the father wants to sue his daughter regarding the authenticity of the signature, well that is another story, but I seriously doubt it.
Anyway, I'm saying this here because it occurred to me I ought to get my parents to sign such documents and give them to one of us kids. And that maybe I should sign one to give to someone just in case I can't pick my own meds up one day.
This is something everyone should think about, I think. If you think you might have your meds picked up by someone else, sign a blanket release for them to do so just in case it is not convenient to sign one at the time. What do you guys think?
poster:noa
thread:219347
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030414/msgs/219347.html