Please Protect Patient Privacy, CVS

Umm, they don't list the prescriptions you are on in plain view of the
customers, just your name. And if someone you knew saw you there,
they would know you were getting a prescription, so why would seeing
your name on a piece of paper be a big deal? (Let alone to a total
stranger who has no idea who you are.) You must be on something you
don't want people to know about and are ashamed if they find out. Who
cares what people think? What's next? Threatening legal action
because the pharmacist who is filling your prescription knows what you
are on? Get a life mister!

When I was working in optical and the HIPAA law passed in 2003, it got
so ridiculous that we couldn't even tell a person if their spouse was
in the Dr's office at the time. We had to tell them to have a seat in
the waiting room and wait until whoever was in there to come out.

Then when we called to tell people when their orders were ready for
pick up and they were not available to come to the phone..we couldn't
leave a message with the person who answered as to WHY we were
calling. LOL

I have noticed when I go to the Dr. that if they have a sign in
book..they ask you to put your first name and last intial only.

Its not a HIPAA violation unless it says what you are being treated
for. ... If it makes you feel uncomfortable signing it just scribble a
few lines and a squiglly mark on there and call it a day ..have fun
bye bye now. do some research before you get all upset and try
assuming you know stuff.

So you don't want the neighbors to know about yur Viagra addiction???

All our pharmacies have that signing sheet also. I assume that the
name of the presecription is not noted on this (ours is not).

Next time, just write in a scribble.

Actually, what one pharmacy here does is take the rectangular label
from the sales label a blank sticky label. We sign that then they
place it in their notebook.

That would get around viewing other signatures. You might want to
suggest that to your pharmacy.

With information about HIPAA and some informative links. If you are
interested here is the link to ShopperCast.

http://planetfeedback.typepad.com/shopping/2008/01/patient-privacy.htm
l

I go to Target Pharmacy, when you pick up an Rx, you sign on the
credit card machine, and your signature is electronically stored.

If you have Target in town, you should transfer it, as they have
exactly what you are looking for.

Out of curiosity, since I didn't think that this was a HIPPA violation
I did some checking on their website and other websites. The use of
paper logs does not violate HIPPA as long as they only display the
patients name and RX number and not the name of the medication.

The reason I did this is, if this is against the HIPPA rules, then
signing a patient sign in log at your doctor would be too and it's
not. As long as the log at your doctor does not ask why you are there
only your name, appointment time and doctor you are seeing (if there's
more than one), it's perfectly all right to use a paper sign in
sheet.

Since you (or your representative) are there picking up the
prescription in person anyone who sees you will already know you (or a
family member) are taking a prescription much the same as someone who
sees you at the doctor will know you are there to see a doctor.

A privacy violation would be if the person who saw you or saw your
name asked someone a question like "I just saw Jonathan L. here, what
was he picking up?" and they came out and said "Oh he's here to get
his wife's birth control pills". This is the same as if I went to the
doctor and saw my neighbor's name on the sign in sheet. All I would
know is that they went to the doctor but not what for. If I asked the
doctor or staff why Jane Doe was there and they told me, that would be
a different story.

and if your standing outside as the police and ambulance arrive,how
do you know the details of the situation? If someone is on a
medication so essential they cannot wait until the next day to get
their refill they need to be certain they have enough to last,ie.fill
it a couple of days early.Someone mentioned that they lived in a small
town as do I and didn't want others to see their name on the clipboard
but in a small town you often see people you know while picking up
your prescription.I just don't see why anyone would care of others
knew they had been prescribed a medication,it's not like the medicine
or your personal information is visible.I have too much going on to
worry about what others are taking and if someone sees my name
signed-so what.I have 3 kids,it could be for one of them.

This is not directly relevant but I am reminded of a similar -- but
worse and also ironic -- run-in my wife had with Walgreens. Shortly
after HIPAA went into effect and everyone was giving out privacy
statements and getting written acknowledgement from patients, she
picked up a prescription from Walgreens and they had her sign for the
privacy statement -- on a log on a clipboard. Being a pretty bright
woman, she pointed out the HIPAA violation of having people sign for
their HIPAA privacy statements in a way that exposed their names. She
got about the same response that I got at CVS yesterday.

It also occurs to me that such a log is next to useless. CVS probably
could come up with yesterday's signature page if ever challenged
because it was tied to a particular prescription picked up on a known
date from a known store. If my wife were ever to claim that she never
got a privacy statement from Walgreens, how in the world would it
locate the piece of paper she signed? It is possible Walgreens has
combined this low-tech, poorly thought-out log sheet system with some
sort of good electronic indexing of the sheets but I did not get the
impression that was the case. It seemed more like someone told them
to get a signature -- and probably to file it somewhere -- but did not
think much beyond that.

Thanks for your letter and I hope CVS responds.

I with you on this one. Especially with matters like these, you dont
want people to know what meds you are taking and so on. Strangers dont
need to know your ailements!!

I think they should switch to an electronic signature system similar
to the way a credit card signer thingy works - less paperwork, more
privacy. But, i also realize that those machines are pretty pricey, so
until then the paperwork should be kept out of view!

My Pharmacy takes this to the max. They have a sign on a stand that
says only one person allowed at counter at at time for privacy
reasons. They have two large feet on the floor for the next person in
line to stand on...this is several feet back from the pick up counter.
You don't sign anything on paper just electronically on a device
similar to a credit card swipe.

I feel the same why you do about these sheets. I also hate them at
the doctors office. I often scribble so you can't read them.

I noticed one responder mentioned the peel and stick sheets. I think
if you need a signature this is an excellent alternative and works for
doctors offices just a good. One of my doctors uses it to check in
and then attaches your signature to the doctors paper for him to work
up his report on.

This is a great letter Jonathan and I really hope they change how they
are doing this.

Your suggestion is a good one too. Good luck with this.

Good letter. This is a clear cut case of a HIPAA violation. CVS
needed to be notified about this immediately.

For informational purposes -- up until 4-5 years ago the pharmacy
could call out a person's name and say that their prescription was
ready --- i.e. "Prescription ready for Monica Smith". Now you can
only call out the person's name to have them come to the the pharmacy
-- i.e. "Monica Smith to the pick-up window". It's a small
difference but it's the difference between a pharmacy violating HIPAA
and not violating HIPAA.

The same goes for the pick-up log sheet. It may not seem like a big
deal to some people but it IS a violation of HIPAA.

I never understood what the big deal is. YOU WERE IN THE STORE!!!
Are you invisible?? People can see you!!!

with you on this one.

They have a list you sign with name and complaint(what your there for)
and anyone can see like for example: Cletus down the street came two
hours ago with a bad case of jock itch...i mean who the hell wants to
see that? but its in plain site. anyway.... maybe its your CVS that
does it only...the one in NJ I used to go to til they started to suck
bigtime had the credit scanner thingy

I really do agree with your concern in theory and I hope they change
the system to protect honest people. The cvs pharmacy in my area uses
the pen system Calm mentioned earlier. It's been my dxperience that
they neither read nor care what name is written. All they want is a
record that someone picked it up.

My pharmacy has these little stickies that you sign. The person who
checks you out then sticks it on the log form so you never even see
it. Just the sticky with your own name and signature.

Good points.

In my case other than on credit cards and sometimes there I never use
my real signature. So, if somebody procures it, let alone can read it,
they are more than welcome to it.

Let us know if CVS gets back to you.

BillR.

This is a really good letter and I agree 100%. I used to go to CVS
because it is right around the corner and I was peeved by this too. I
switched to Giant pharmacy mainly because of CVS Pharmacy's poor
customer service. Giant also has you sign the credit card pad. Why
can't CVS install something like that?

I use a Dominick's pharmacy not far from the store where you picked up
a prescription.

They have a device very similar to the cardreader that displays the
prescription numbers and collects a signature. I will note that the
store was renovated and reopend within the last few years; prior to
that, I had never used a Dominick's pharmacy, so I don't know whether
this is technology that is just starting to become available in their
stores or something that's been around for awhile. Dominick's also
enforces the rule about standing a couple of feet back from the
counter if you're in line, while the Walgreens I used before
Dominick's reopened didn't have a problem with pharmacy techs shouting
people's information at managers across the room, so I know privacy
practices in the area vary.