Debbie was shocked to see the name of a medication for erectile dysfunction on the bag s receipt. Mr. Monday was very irate when he called the pharmacist that afternoon. While the appropriateness of Jack s and Debbie s reaction to the incident can be debated, Julie Green and Mr. Monday had reason to be upset that a family member was informed of their medications. It happened because the pharmacy staffs were trying to be helpful and save the patient a trip to the pharmacy. This is not unusual.
Pharmacies try to help people everyday.
The problem in both cases was that the pharmacy volunteered information about another family member s prescription. Pharmacists are aware that pharmacy records are confidential and do not intend to breach confidentiality. However, many pharmacists are surprised to learn that this confidentiality extends to family members, including spouses. No, it doesn t. A pharmacist can provide a prescription to a patient s agent, that is, a person acting on behalf of the patient.