Sunday, July 31, 2011

Anyone Contact You Lately To Discuss Your Prescription Buying Habits?

I once got a telephone call from a "survey" company that concerned my "prescription" drug purchases. Now, I really only have two prescriptions, one for my blood pressure, and one for relief of stress. But, I was rather surprised that this company knew my information, what drugs I took and where I purchased them from. I was aghast that my personal medical history was out there for others to pick at.

Seems I am not alone (subscription required for full reading):

The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a Vermont law that barred the sale of doctors' prescription data to drug companies, ruling the law interfered with the pharmaceutical industry's First Amendment right to market its products.

Data companies such as IMS Health Inc. gather information from pharmacies about which medicines doctors are prescribing and ...

3 comments:

Bob said...

Whoa, I thought the patient had to sign a permission form for the release or transfer of medical information to other parties. When I had a test at a lab earlier this year for a specialist, I had to sign a form to have a copy of it faxed to my GP. Next time I'm in CVS, I'm asking the pharmacist if my prescription record is completely confidential. It is nobody's effing business.

Bob said...

I'm still pissed. Hard to imagine my GP releasing personal info, but who knows what CVS & the HMO do with it.

Carrie said...

Yup. It's the pharmacy where you get your prescription filled that sells the data to the "companies." I had a long talk with my pharmacy, and to be honest, they had no idea even THEY were giving this information to third parties. They tried to say that perhaps it was my credit card company that gave the information away, but I told them I paid for my medicine in cash, so it could not have been my "credit card company."

And, as I have shown you, our precious SCOTUS has ruled in favor of data mining of your private medical prescriptions as they struck down a LAW preventing these companies from obtaining your PERSONAL MEDICAL PRESCRIPTION information! God Love American Big Business And Big Pharma!!!!