Q: Must we include a cover sheet when faxing prescription requests to a secure fax machine at a medical clinic?
HIPAA Weekly Advisor, March 5, 2007
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A: The privacy rule doesn't explicitly require you to use a fax coversheet, but it does require you to take reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of patient information.
If you've accurately preprogrammed the medical clinic's fax number into your fax machine, the risk of a misdirected fax is minimal. In that case, it is acceptable to send the fax without a coversheet to save transmission time and paper. Also be sure to limit the information to the minimum necessary to meet the purpose of the request.
Editor's note: Mary Brandt, president of Bellaire, TX-based Brandt & Associates, LLC, answered this question. This is not legal advice. Consult your attorney for legal matters.
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