NOTICE
OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
EFFECTIVE APRIL 14, 2003
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL
INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO
THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
As part of the federal Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, known as HIPAA, the
pharmacy has created this Notice of Privacy Practices (Notice). This Notice
describes the pharmacy's privacy practices and the rights you, the individual,
have as they relate to the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI).
Your PHI is information about you, or that could be used to identify you, as it
relates to your past and present physical and mental health care services. The
HIPAA regulations require that the pharmacy protect the privacy of your PHI
that the pharmacy has received or created.
This pharmacy will abide by the
terms presented within this Notice. For any uses or disclosures that are not
listed below, the pharmacy will obtain a written authorization from you for
that use or disclosure, which you will have the right to revoke at any time, as
explained in more detail below. The pharmacy reserves the right to change the
pharmacy's privacy practices and this Notice. Revisions to the Notice will be
posted in the pharmacy and upon your request, provided to you in a paper
format.
HOW THE PHARMACY
MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PHI
The following is an accounting of the ways that the pharmacy is permitted, by
law, to use and disclose your PHI.
Uses and disclosures of PHI for
Treatment: We will use the PHI that we receive from you to fill your
prescription and coordinate or manage your health care.
Uses and disclosures of PHI for
Payment: The pharmacy will disclose your PHI to obtain payment or reimbursement
from insurers for your health care services.
Uses and disclosures of PHI for
Health Care Operations: The pharmacy will use your PHI to conduct quality
assessments, improvement activities, and evaluate the pharmacy workforce.
The following is an accounting of
additional ways in which the pharmacy is permitted or required to use or
disclose PHI about you without your written authorization.
Uses and disclosures as required
by law: The pharmacy is required to use or disclose PHI about you as required
and as limited by law.
Uses and disclosure for Public
Health Activities: The pharmacy may use or disclose PHI about you to a public
health authority that is authorized by law to collect for the purpose of
preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.
Uses and disclosure about victims
of abuse, neglect or domestic violence: The pharmacy may use or disclose PHI
about you to a government authority if it is reasonably believed you are a
victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence.
Uses and disclosures for health
oversight activities: The pharmacy may use or disclose PHI about you to a
health oversight agency for oversight activities that it is authorized by law
to conduct.
Disclosures for judicial and
administrative proceedings: The pharmacy may disclose PHI about you in the
course of any judicial or administrative proceedings, provided that proper
documentation is presented to the pharmacy.
Disclosures for law enforcement
purposes: The pharmacy may disclose PHI about you to law enforcement officials
for authorized purposes.
Uses and disclosures about the
deceased: The pharmacy may disclose PHI about the deceased, or prior to, and in
reasonable anticipation of an individual's death, to coroners, medical
examiners, and funeral directors.
Uses and disclosures for
cadaveric organ, eye or tissue donation purposes: The pharmacy may use and
disclose PHI for the purpose of procurement, banking, or transplantation of
cadaveric organs, eyes, or tissues for donation purposes.
Uses and disclosures for research
purposes: The pharmacy may use and disclose PHI about you for research purposes
with a valid waiver of authorization from the research board. Otherwise, the
pharmacy will request a signed authorization by the individual for all other
research purposes.
Uses and disclosures to avert a
serious threat to health or safety: The pharmacy may use or disclose PHI about
you, if it believed in good faith, and is consistent with any applicable law
and standards of ethical conduct, to avert a serious threat to health or
safety.
Uses and disclosures for
specialized government functions: The pharmacy may use or disclose PHI about
you for specialized government functions including; military activities,
national security and intelligence, protective services, and correctional
institutions and law enforcement custodial situations.
Disclosure for workers'
compensation: The pharmacy may disclose PHI about you as authorized by and to
the extent necessary to comply with workers' compensation laws or programs
established by law.
Disclosures for disaster relief
purposes: The pharmacy may disclose PHI about you as authorized by law to a
public or private entity to assist in disaster relief efforts.
Disclosures to business
associates: The pharmacy may disclose PHI about you to the pharmacy's business
associates for services that they may provide to or for the pharmacy.
OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES
The pharmacy may contact you for the following purposes:
Refill reminders: The pharmacy
may contact you to remind you of your prescription upon such time they are
ready to be refilled.
Information about treatment
alternatives: The pharmacy may contact you to notify you of alternative
treatments and/or products.
Health related benefits or
services: The pharmacy may use your PHI to notify you of benefits and services
the pharmacy provides.
Fundraising: If the pharmacy
participates in a fundraising activity, the pharmacy may use demographic PHI to
send you fundraising packet, or the pharmacy may disclose demographic PHI about
you to its business associate or an institutionally related foundation to send
you a fundraising packet. No further disclosure will be allowed by the business
associates or an institutionally related foundation without your written
authorization.
FOR ALL OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES
The pharmacy will obtain a written authorization from you for all other uses
and disclosures of PHI, and the pharmacy will only use or disclose pursuant to
such an authorization. In addition, you may revoke such an authorization in
writing at any time. To revoke a previously authorized use or disclosure,
please contact Patrick Dunham.
YOUR HEALTH
INFORMATION RIGHTS
The following are a list of your rights in respect to your PHI.
Request restrictions on certain
uses and disclosures of your PHI: You have the right to request additional
restrictions of the pharmacy's uses and disclosures of your PHI; however, the
pharmacy is not required to accommodate a request. If you wish to request
additional restrictions, please obtain the form, Request for Restriction of
Uses & Disclosures, from the pharmacy and return the completed form to the
pharmacy or return to Patrick Dunham.
The right to have your PHI
communicated to you by alternate means or locations: You have the right to
request that the pharmacy communicate confidentially with you using an address
or phone number other than your residence. However, state and federal laws
require the pharmacy to have an accurate address and home phone number in case
of emergencies. The pharmacy will consider all reasonable requests. If you wish
to request a change in your communicating address and/or phone number, please
obtain a form, Request for Alternative Arrangements for Confidential
Communication, from the pharmacy and return the completed form to the pharmacy
or return to Patrick Dunham.
The right to inspect and/or
obtain a copy your PHI: You have the right to request access and/or obtain a
copy of your PHI that is contained in the pharmacy for the duration the
pharmacy maintains PHI about you. If you wish to inspect or obtain a copy your
PHI, please obtain a form, Request for Access to Records, from the pharmacy and
return the completed form to the pharmacy or return to Patrick Dunham. There
may be a reasonable cost-based charge for photocopying documents. You will be
notified in advance of incurring such charges, if any.
The right to amend your PHI: You
have the right to request an amendment of the PHI the pharmacy maintains about
you, if you feel that the PHI the pharmacy has maintained about you is
incorrect or otherwise incomplete. Under certain circumstances we may deny your
request for amendment. If we do deny the request, you will have the right to
have the denial reviewed by someone we designate who was not involved in the
initial review. You may also ask the Secretary, United States Department of
Health and Human Services, or their appropriate designee, to review such a
denial. If you wish to amend your PHI files, please obtain a form, Request for
Amendment to PHI, from the pharmacy and return the completed form to the
pharmacy or return to Patrick Dunham.
The right to receive an
accounting of disclosures of your PHI: You have the right to receive an
accounting of certain disclosures of your PHI made by the pharmacy. If you wish
to receive an accounting of disclosures of your PHI, please obtain a form,
Request for Accounting of Disclosures, from the pharmacy and return the
completed form to the pharmacy or return to the Patrick Dunham. You should be
aware, however, that such an accounting excludes uses and disclosures made for
treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes.
The right to receive additional copies of the Pharmacy's Notice of Privacy
Practices: You have the right to receive additional paper copies of this
Notice, upon request, even if you initially agreed to receive the Notice
electronically. If you wish to receive a paper copy of this request, please ask
a pharmacy workforce member and they will provide you with a copy.
REVISIONS TO THE NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
The pharmacy reserves the right to change and/or revise this Notice and make
the new revised version applicable to all PHI received prior to its effective
date. The revised Notice will be available, upon request, to all individuals.
The pharmacy will also post the revised version of the Notice in the pharmacy.
COMPLAINTS
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint
with the pharmacy and/or to the Secretary of HHS, or their designee. If you
wish to file a complaint with the pharmacy, please contact Patrick Dunham. If
you wish to file a complaint with the Secretary, please write to:
The U.S Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201
The pharmacy will not take any
adverse action against you as a result of your filing of a complaint.
CONTACT
INFORMATION
If you have any questions on the pharmacy's privacy practices or for
clarification on anything contained within the Notice, please contact:
HealthStat Rx
Patrick Dunham
1270 Winchester Pkwy
Suite 100
Smyrna, GA 30080
(770) 437-8040
|