Report Sparks Changes at Pharmacy Chains

[rpannier]

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- The nation's largest drugstore chains say they are working to better protect patient privacy after an investigative TV report turned up sensitive information about hundreds of customers in trash bins in cities around the country.

Indianapolis TV station WTHR inspected nearly 300 trash bins and found nearly 2,400 patient records, including pill bottles, customer refill lists and prescription labels. Most of the bins belonged to Walgreens Co., CVS Corp. or Rite Aid Corp. The inspections were done in more than a dozen cities ranging from Boston to Louisville, Ky., to Phoenix.

The station said its investigation began after a grandmother from Bloomington, Ind., was robbed at her front door by a thief authorities said found her address in a CVS trash bin. The man posed as a pharmacy employee to try to steal her prescription for the painkiller Oxycontin, the authorities said.

(sounds like lush rimbaugh has been hanging out in Bloomington on his vacations)

full article can nbe found at:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DRUGSTORES_CONSUMER_PRIVACY?SITE=ILMOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[hippiechick]

1. It was amazing to watch the series.

I thought: "hmmm .... wonder if there's any good pain killers in any of those vials ?" and actually considered motoring around town to check out some dumpsters just for the hell of it.

:evilgrin:

[Rosemary2205]

2. Not only that but

we need prescription bottle labels that the patient can remove from the bottle and shred before they get rid of empties. Those little labels are pretty difficult to remove.