[conversation]

For a pharmacy to announce someone's name outloud or page their name. I work in a pharmacy and am trying to get my pharmacist to announce when a customers rx is ready. But he says it is a hipaa violation to announce someone's name. Examle:" prescription is ready for Mike Jones". Is that a violation?

[J_9]

No, it's not a HIPAA violation because they are not giving out the name of the medication or the diagnosis. All they are doing is saying that there is "something" ready for Mike Jones in the pharmacy.

For it to be a violation the diagnosis and/or name of the medication would have to be announced.

[Jiggly1984]

Possibly... HIPAA protects Personal Identifying Information and Personal Health Information. So, healthcare providers, etc. are required to keep confidential both information about their patients (SSN, Address, etc), and their patients' Health Information (i.e. The prescription, health conditions, etc). So, even though telling someone their script is ready isn't really classified information about the customer, nor does it divulge their health information, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to do so, especially given the public nature of pharmacies. For instance, if you call Mike Jones's name to get his script, and someone sees what his script is or hears him ask the pharmacist questions about it, you've just associated a person with their health info... So I probably would play it safe and not announce.

[J_9]

Wal Mart announces it... Kroger announces

You see, you are not divulging anything about the medical condition of the patient by calling his/her name over the intercom.

There are many meds that are not prescription, but are kept behind the counter.

As a RN, I have had to take many courses involving HIPAA, and continue to do so almost monthly.

This is not a violation.

[Fr_Chuck]

While it is not, your store may decide not to, if they don't wish to give out names, they can call first name only or assign them a number that will be called