>Here's a link to news about google, and its newly granted access to
>prescription records from CVS pharmacies.
>
>http://mashable.com/2009/04/06/google-health-prescriptions 

And here's a few things that should make people feel REAL comfortable about
this move....

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/03/03-16

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/02/20090218a.html

http://www.curecvsnow.org/index.php?id=43

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97556.php


Knowing that CVS is gobbling up local CA drug store chain Longs Drugs, which
was privately held for decades and actually run by the Longs Family, I am
certainly going to find out if there is an "Opt Out" clause for customers to
NOT HAVE THEIR RECORDS placed into this environment.  If there is not, I've
filled my last prescription at this chain.

As I've said time and again, there are still insufficient controls in place
on the management of of health records stored in electronic form, and this
is a shining example of that.  http://snipurl.com/ck5gy 
[blogs_computerworld_com] 

CVS was a big part of the situation that happened following Katrina where a
number of pharmacies in the Gulf Coast Region were told by DHHS to open
their records for commingling in a common system to allowed for improved
access and filling prescriptions of people who had possibly lost their drugs
when their homes were damaged/destroyed by the hurricane.

When that happened, DHHS suspended all HIPAA regulations and stated that no
penalties would be levied for exposure of information related to this event,
and that the records would be returned to the pharmacies who provided them
"once things in the region return to normal"... which 5 years later has
still not happened.  http://blogs.computerworld.com/node/994

Based on some of the incidents mentioned in the articles linked above, I for
one am NOT READY to trust CVS or the DHHS for allowing this to happen. 
Where is the compliance with HIPAA polices requiring anyone having access to
this information to enter into a "Business Associate's Agreement"??  
http://snipurl.com/ff0sj  [www_hhs_gov]   After all, it's required in 45CFR...

Larry
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