Study identifies safety and privacy risks at Walgreens pharmacies
HIM-HIPAA Insider, November 11, 2013
Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to HIM-HIPAA Insider!
Walgreens’ new “Well Experience” pharmacy model may pose significant risks to the safety and privacy of patients, according to a study conducted by Change to Win (CtW) Retail Initiatives. In an effort to make pharmacists more accessible, the “Well Experience” model places them at a desk in front of the pharmacy counter, according to CtW.
CtW investigated the “Well Experience” at 50 Walgreens locations in Illinois, Indiana, and Florida from June to August 2013 in an effort to identify risks associated with the model. CtW noted the following privacy and safety concerns:
- During 32 hours of observation, pharmacists were interrupted or distracted 442 times. Interrupting or distracting a pharmacist could lead to medication errors.
- Pharmacists left PHI of patients visible to anyone in the pharmacy in 80% of stores visited.
- Prescriptions, including controlled substances, were left unattended or within reach of customers in 46% of stores visited. Many prescription bottles were already labeled and accompanied by brochures containing PHI.
CtW recommended that Walgreens reevaluate its new pharmacy model so that it does not pose a risk to patient privacy and medication security.
This article originally appeared on HCPro’s HIPAA Update blog. Stay up to date on all things HIPAA by signing up for e-mail updates from this blog.
Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to HIM-HIPAA Insider!
Related Products
-
Briefings on APCs
Worried about the complexities of the new rules under OPPS and APCs? Briefings on APCs helps you understand the new rules...
-
HIM Briefings
Guiding Health Information Management professionals through the continuously changing field of medical records and toward a...
-
Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies
Submitting improper Medicare documentation can lead to denial of fees, payback, fines, and increased diligence from payers...
-
Briefings on HIPAA
How can you minimize the impact of HIPAA? Subscribe to Briefings on HIPAA, your health information management resource for...
-
APCs Insider
This HTML-based e-mail newsletter provides weekly tips and advice on the new ambulatory payment classifications regulations...
Most Popular
- Articles
-
- Don't forget the three checks in medication administration
- Note similarities and differences between HCPCS, CPT® codes
- Complications from immobility by body system
- OB services: Coding inside and outside of the package
- The consequences of an incomplete medical record
- Q&A: Primary, principal, and secondary diagnoses
- Differentiate between types of wound debridement
- Practice the six rights of medication administration
- Nursing responsibilities for managing pain
- ICD-10-CM coma, stroke codes require more specific documentation
- E-mailed
-
- Correctly bill ancillary bedside procedures in addition to the room rate
- Q&A: Utilization Review Committee Membership
- Q&A: Bill blood administration the same way for inpatient and outpatient accounts
- Q&A: A second look at encephalopathy as integral to seizures/CVA
- Performing a SWOT analysis
- OB services: Coding inside and outside of the package
- Know the medical gas cylinder storage requirements
- Intravenous therapy guidelines
- Coding, billing, and documentation tips for teaching physicians, interns, residents, and students
- Coding tip: Watch for different codes for SI joint injections
- Searched