A local pharmacist was found in contravention of the Health Information Act after he tried to get friendly with a patient by contacting her using her health information.
Cathy Dmotrica filed a complaint with the Information and Privacy Commissioner alleging that a pharmacist tried to make friends with her on Facebook and contacted her twice by phone to try and establish a relationship with her.
She said she was concerned that the pharmacist obtained the contact information when she filled a prescription.
“It's absolutely terrifying, like I had nightmares, I started sleeping with a machete under my bed cuz I don't know what he's going to do, I don't know this guy, he's already shown he has no concerns about my rights or my privacy or guidelines or ethics or anything," said Dmotrica.
The subsequent investigation determined that the pharmacist did misuse health information and that the pharmacy manager didn’t ensure that patients’ information was protected.
The pharmacist was a casual employee for the Amani Pharmacy which is located in a Shoppers Drug Mart in southeast Calgary. The Shoppers' pharmacies are independently owned.
The HIA says employees are prohibited from using health information outside of their job responsibilities and holds the pharmacy responsible for misuse.
To see the report, click HERE, of see the document below.
