Can the pharmacy give out information on what prescriptions you have had filled? Like if a Dr. asks for a printout, can they get it or would they need my permission?

[Peanuts]

I'm sorry but I don't know the answer to that question. Although, wouldn't you want your Dr. to know what medications you have prescriptions for just in case some of them don't mix with others or might cause complications ?? I think that pharmacies usually do that for you as well - warn you if one drug interacts poorly with another.

Thanks Peanuts, I was thinking more on the lines of if your Dr wanted to make sure you were getting their prescription filled. Like if I cut down on a med on my own and wasn't getting the script filled every month...

Could the Dr find out through the pharmacy.

[SeptemberMorn]

Not sure, but I think the pharmacy needs your permission. However, I seriously doubt that a doctor would do that. They don't have the time nor the inclination. They pretty much go by what you tell them.

Why don't you call your pharmacy and ask just to be sure?

Why don't you call your pharmacy and ask just to be sure?

Because that would be too easy, lol.

[SeptemberMorn]

[SeptemberMorn]

BTW, where are your purple petals?? You generating new ones, are you?

[Perna]

Like September Morn says, the doctor wouldn't have time or inclination and there's no "law" saying you have to take or fill prescriptions. There's lots of problems with people not getting them filled in the first place because they can't afford to! There's no way for anyone to tell why/that you didn't get something filled (for all a pharmacy knows, you've gone to a new doctor and gotten a different prescription or gone to a different pharmacy, etc.). The pharmacy doesn't have any "reminder" calendar or anything, they just look at when you got something filled before to make sure you aren't getting refills too often! But people who abuse drugs do so easily as they go to different doctors and pharmacies both so get multiple prescriptions filled for the same/similar stuff (pain pills comes to mind, Rush Limbaugh). Pharmacies only tell if they're required to by law and to save their butt. Doctors can often tell if you get something filled/don't because you get better/worse. But think of people who save their medicine and overdose, maybe multiple times . . .

Pharmacies only tell if they're required to by law and to save their butt.

Ok, I get that.

But--let's pretend that a Dr has the time and inclination and calls the pharmacy and asks for a printout of all the meds filled within the last six months.

By law, can the pharmacy just give that info out or would they have to get my permission? That's what I'm trying to ask.

Or does that "hippa"potamus thing stop them from doing that.

Humor me here.

[Perna]

The Hippapotamus :-) http://www.healthprivacy.org/ mostly has to do with doctors sharing your information with others; the pharmacy is a commercial establishment, not a medical establishment so, no, they're not going to print out your records and give them to the doctor. You could sue them for that, plain and simple. You can't get records from doctors without signing for them, even though they're YOUR records. So, getting commercial records, signing or not will be a lot harder I'd think.

Thank you!

[complic8d]

In my opinion, as a pharmacist, I think it would depend on the situation. I don't think I would send a printout to the doctor, but I might tell what they picked up. I also would add that maybe they got it filled elsewhere. We have a professional relationship with doctors and are able to share information regarding health and safety.
But, like I said, for me, it would depend on the situation and the details.

yup uunder certain circumstances like by doctor request and by court order. my doctor can request a printout from my pharmacy at any point to varify a precription and so he will have a complete history of my medications. I know this because he was able to get the pharmacy print out from a pharmacy in another state for the files when I first became his client and my child needed some asthma medications and my doctor needed to know what he had been on before prescribing refills for them in this state.

Also DHS was able to get a printout of my medication history and mental and physical files by court order.

Also my doctor does recieve phone calls when my precriptions run out so that my doctor can authorize more refills when needed so that right there says my doctor and pharmacy can talk between them about my medicinal needs and history. he knew just by not getting that refill call that I hadn't been at least getting the prescription filled when I first started taking that medication.

[January]

I think they need a written permission or at a minimum, a verbal ok.

Where are your beautiful petals and your fall foliage! Have you become invisible ??????????

Hugs,

Jan