ATOZ Pharmacy Notice of our privacy practices
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
At ATOZ Pharmacy, we are strongly committed to protecting your privacy. Because we respect your privacy, we ask that you please read this important Notice. It concerns the privacy of your health information when you use the ATOZ Pharmacy Delivery Pharmacy Service to fill your prescriptions. We recommend that you keep a copy of this Notice for future reference. This Notice explains our privacy practices and describes how ATOZ Pharmacy may use and disclose your health information that specifically identifies you or could be used to identify you (your “health information”). This Notice also provides you with important information about your privacy rights and how you may exercise those rights. Please note that others involved in your healthcare (for example, your health plan, physicians, other pharmacies, couriers etc.) may send you separate notices describing their privacy practices.
Your protected health information (PHI) To provide you with safe and convenient home delivery pharmacy services, we need to obtain and use your health information. Without your health information, we would be unable to fill your prescriptions. Examples of the health information we hold include your prescription records, your health plan information, your prescription payment history, and your address. This information may come from you (for example, when you tell us about your medical history or drug allergies), your physician, and your health plan and its agents. The HIPAA privacy standards The United States Department of Health and Human Services has adopted privacy standards “the HIPAA Privacy Standards” which protect your health information. The HIPAA Privacy Standards establish rules for when healthcare providers, such as ATOZ Pharmacy, may use or disclose your health information. Importantly, the HIPAA Privacy Standards also tell us what we cannot do with your health information. Activities that are not permitted under HIPAA will require your written authorization. How ATOZ Pharmacy may use or disclose your health information The HIPAA Privacy Standards allow us to use and disclose your health information, without your authorization, to perform the activities listed below in our role as a home delivery pharmacy. Routine business activities related to your pharmacy care, such as: Treatment: We are permitted to use and disclose your health information to fill your prescriptions and provide you with appropriate treatment. For example, we may use or disclose your health information to:- Review and interpret your prescriptions
- Screen your prescriptions to make sure the prescribed medications are safe for you
- Contact your physicians to resolve questions about your prescriptions
- Contact your case manager or social worker to resolve questions about your prescriptions and other pertinent information pertaining to your prescription drug therapy
- Refill your prescriptions when you ask us to do so
- Notify you of drug recalls or other problems with your medications
- Bill you for your prescriptions
- Contact your health plan or its agents to check your co-payment amount
- Check to see if specific medications are covered under your plan
- Provide your health plan or its agents with the health information they need to pay us for the medications we dispense, and so that they may otherwise manage your prescription benefit(s).
- Review and evaluate the performance of our pharmacists
- Conduct audits and compliance programs
- Collect medical history and drug allergy information from you
- Send communications informing you of the status of your prescriptions
- Provide customer service
- Operate our website
- Review and resolve grievances
ATOZ Pharmacy may also share health information with:
You: We are permitted to disclose your health information to you. For example, we may inform you of the status of your home delivery prescription order, or you may check your prescription information on our website. In addition, we may contact you to provide refill reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you. Modes of communication are based on the severity of the information being conveyed. As such we may send you delivery tracking information via text or email while prescription profiles and health information will be sent via mail to address on file or in person pick up with identification. Family members and others involved in your care: In certain circumstances, we are permitted to disclose your health information to family members or other people involved in your care. For example:- If a family member calls a customer service representative on your behalf, we may provide the family member with information about your home delivery prescriptions, but only if he or she is able to tell us certain information about you; for example, your prescription number.
- If you and a family member mail your prescriptions to us in the same envelope, we may mail back your medications both yours and your family member’s together in the same package.
Other ways ATOZ Pharmacy may use and disclose your health information:
To create “de-identified health information”: We may create data that cannot be linked to you by removing certain elements from your health information, such as your name, address, telephone number, birth date, and prescription number. ATOZ Pharmacy may use this de-identified information to conduct certain business activities; for example, to create summary reports and to analyze and monitor industry trends. For research purposes: We are permitted to use and disclose your health information for research purposes, but only if we receive prior approval from a special review board. Before we receive approval, the review board must consider a number of factors and determine whether there are appropriate safeguards in place to protect the privacy of your health information. For other purposes: We must obtain your written authorization if we want to use or disclose your health information for activities other than those listed above. If we need your authorization for certain activities, we will contact you. You may revoke your authorization at any time in writing.Your privacy rights
ATOZ Pharmacy is committed to complying with the HIPAA Privacy Standards while providing you with all the information you need to make informed decisions about your healthcare. The following describes your privacy rights under the HIPAA Privacy Standards:- The right to request your ATOZ Pharmacy “designated record set”: You may request a copy of your health information maintained by ATOZ Pharmacy, “your ATOZ Pharmacy designated record set”. The ATOZ Pharmacy designated record set will contain health information specific to your prescriptions filled through our home delivery pharmacy. It will not contain information about the prescriptions that you fill through other retail pharmacies.
- The right to request amendments to your ATOZ Pharmacy designated record set: You may request changes to the information contained in your ATOZ Pharmacy designated record set. However, we are not required to honor your request if, for example, the information you want to amend is accurate and complete. When requesting an amendment, you must provide a reason to support your request.
- The right to request an “accounting of disclosures”: You may request a list or accounting of the non-routine disclosures of your health information that we have made. Examples may include disclosures to a court or government agency, to a public health and safety entity, for research, or to the Department of Health and Human Services. You may receive one accounting per year free of charge. For additional requests within a one-year period, we may impose a reasonable fee.
- The right to request a copy of this Notice: You may request a copy of this Notice at any time.
- The right to request restrictions: You may request restrictions on how we use and disclose your health information, and whether we disclose your health information to family members or others involved in your care. Although ATOZ Pharmacy is not required to agree to your restriction requests, we will try to honor your request to block health information from your family members. If ATOZ Pharmacy agrees to your restriction request, it is important to understand that your family members will no longer be able to act on your behalf or continue to be involved in your care, which may make our services less convenient for you and your family. In addition, accommodating your request for restrictions may involve limiting some of the services that ATOZ Pharmacy provides to you and your family.
- The right to request “confidential communications” of your health information: You may request that we send your health information to an address that is different than your family address (for example, your work address). Communications containing your health information will be sent to you at the address indicated. However, please note that certain billing information related to your Home Delivery Pharmacy benefit may continue to be mailed to the primary member. If you request this confidential handling of your health information, it is important to understand that your family members will no longer be able to act on your behalf or continue to be involved in your care, which may make our services less convenient for you and your family. In addition, accommodating your request for confidential communications may involve limiting some of the services that ATOZ Pharmacy provides to you and your family.