Summary of Position on Pharmacists Providing Prescription Information to Third Parties
Feb 1997 Council Report
Mar/Apr 1997 Pharmacy Connection

Council approved recommended accreditation standards dealing with the release of information to third parties. The proposed standards note that at no time shall either the name of the patient be released without the patient's knowledge and consent, or any other information that may identify the patient in the absence of a name. The standard requires that both the pharmacy operator and the designated manager of a pharmacy have knowledge of any agreements to disclose prescription information to a third party before any prescription information is disclosed, provided or sold. Also, any agreement an operator may have with the provider of computer software will require certain provisions respecting the following topics:
i) notice of information disclosure;
ii) reasonable notice of any changes in information provided;
iii) agreement between operator and designated manager regarding any changes in information, and;
iv) assurance that the provider of computer software will not terminate an agreement on the basis that the operator and designated manager do not agree with each other about said changes.

These proposals include guidelines related to the use of prescription information. They note that the operator of the pharmacy has ultimate responsibility for prescription records maintained in the pharmacy and, accordingly, must protect the confidentiality of patient information. In making decisions about selling, sharing or providing prescription information to third parties such as data collection companies, the intended use of the information shall be considered an appropriate use of information shall be considered, particularly in terms of whether that use will benefit the public. The guidelines establish that what is considered appropriate use of information would include the following:
i) drug utilization reviews;
ii) research;
iii) identification of inappropriate prescribing;
iv) reduction in the abuse of drugs by patients and prescribers;
v) feedback of data to prescribers, pharmacists and regulatory authorities.