AboutEric Brandt Expertise I am a practicing pharmacist.On my drug information website, I have answered hundreds of questions to date. The articles posted on my site include Parkinson`s disease. depression, menopause, diabetes, sleep and aging, congestive heart failure, calcium channel blockers, thyroid hormone replacement therapy, ADHD, multiple sclerosis an more.
Experience I have experience in retail as well as hospital pharmacy pracice. Currently working in a hospital pharmacy. I am experienced in drug information. Over the last 6 years I have developed a successful web site for drug information.
The addressfor my drug information website is http://www.druginformation.bc.caThere you can read articles on varios areas of health interest. You can also leave me questions which I will personally answer. I also have a free health information newsletter called The Caplet. To subscribe send e-mail to
thecaplet-subscribe@topica.com
Question I have two questions: 1. Are scripts for controlled substances returned to the doctor once they're filled? For example, in the way that cashed checks are returned (or a copy of) to the account holder? How is the amount of pills prescribed monitored, so that nobody can alter it? 2. Does HIPPA require pharmacies to keep prescription information confidential? Can information be given without anything short of a court order or are pharmacies not held to the same privacy standards as other medical information?
Thank you
Answer Hi Amy,
Prescriptions are not returned to the prescriber after they have been filled. They are legal documents that pharmacists must retain for a period of 3 to 5 years depending on where you practice.
The pharmacist keeps track of when prescriptin are filled and refilled and is able to monitor usage by dividing the number of pills by the number of days between fills.
alstering a prescription is forgery. If the pharmacist is very familiar with the prescriber's writing he can detect an altered prwscription. Also many prescribers now use computer generated prescriptions that are more difficult to alter.
All prescription ifromation is confidential. The information is passed on to the insurance company that pays for it. No other person or institution is privy to the information without a court order.
Having said that, the information may be shared with another prescriber in order to prevent overdosages, and adverse drug interactions or other reason to protect the safety of the patient.
Thank you for using Allexperts
Sincerely,
Eric Brandt, B.Sc. Pharm
