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Notice of Privacy Practices
Notice of Privacy Practices
FAMILYMEDS / ARROW PHARMACY NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Familymeds, Arrow and its affiliates ("Familymeds") is required by law to maintain the privacy of protected health information and to provide our customers with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your information. This Notice of Privacy Practices ("Notice") describes how we may use and disclose health information. It also describes our obligations and your rights with respect to your health information.
FAMILYMEDS MAY USE OR DISCLOSURE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES
TREATMENT
Treatment includes providing, coordinating or managing health care and related services. For example, we may contact you regarding refill reminders or to provide you with information about therapeutic alternatives or other health related benefits or services.
PAYMENT
Familymeds may use or disclose your health information for such activities as obtaining reimbursement for services or products, confirming coverage, billing or collection activities, and utilization review.
OPERATIONS
We may use your health information for our business operations, including quality assessment activities, auditing, and customer service.
AS REQUIRED BY LAW
We will disclose health information about you when required to do so by federal, state, or local law. For example, we may disclose medical information when required by a court order in a litigation proceeding.
TO AVERT A SERIOUS THREAT TO HEALTH OR SAFETY
We may use and disclose medical information about you when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or to the health and safety of the public or another person. Any disclosure, however, would only be to someone able to prevent the threat.
LAWSUITS AND DISPUTES
If you are involved in a lawsuit or dispute, we may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose information in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process.
PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS
Familymeds may disclose your health information for public health activities.
HEALTH OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES
We may disclose your health information to a health oversight agency for purposes authorized by law. These Oversight activities include audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure.
OTHER PERMITTED USES
Familymeds may also disclose health information as necessary for workers compensation, national security purposes, or to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials, medical examiners, or in response to law enforcement agencies. Familymeds may also transfer your records as part of a sale of its business where permitted by law.
YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
You have the following rights with respect to your protected health information, which you can exercise by completing a written request available at each location and sending the request to the privacy officer or contacting the privacy officer directly in writing:
The right to request a copy of the Notice at any time. Even if you have agreed to receive the Notice electronically, you are still entitled to a paper copy.
The right to request additional restrictions on our use or disclosure of health information about you. We are not required to agree to those restrictions.
The right to inspect and copy the health information in your designated record set for as long as we maintain the information. We may charge you a fee for the costs of copying, mailing and supplies that are necessary to fulfill your request. In limited circumstances, we may deny your request to inspect and copy in certain limited circumstances. If you are denied access to your health information, you may request that the denial be reviewed.
The right to request an amendment of your health information for as long as we maintain the information. Your request must include a reason that supports your request. In certain cases, we may deny your request for amendment. If we deny your request for amendment, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement with the decision and we may give a rebuttal to your statement.
The right to receive an accounting of the disclosures we have made concerning your health information about you after April 14, 2003. The accounting will exclude certain disclosures, such as disclosures made for treatment, payment, or operations; those made directly to you; disclosures you authorize; disclosures to friends or family members involved in your care; and disclosures for notification purposes.
The right to receive an accounting is subject to certain other exceptions, restrictions, and limitations. Your request must specify the time period, but may not be longer than six years. The first accounting you request within a 12 month period will be provided free of charge, but you may be charged for the cost of providing additional accountings. We will notify you of the cost prior to providing the accounting.
The right to request that communications concerning your health information is made by alternative means or at alternative locations. Your request must state how or where you would like to be contacted. We will accommodate all reasonable requests.
OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES OF YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
The Pharmacy will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing Protected Health Information about you for purposes other than those provided for above or in instances where state law is more stringent and requires your permission. You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time. Upon receipt of the written revocation, we will stop using or disclosing your health information, except to the extent that we have already taken action in reliance on the authorization.
TO FILE A REQUEST, FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO REPORT A PROBLEM
If you would like to exercise one of your rights listed above, have questions or would like additional information about Familymeds privacy practices, you may contact the Privacy Officer, Familymeds, Inc., 312 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06032 or call 1-800-203-2776. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with the Privacy Officer at the address above or with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.
EFFECTIVE DATE AND CHANGE IN PRACTICES
This notice is effective as of April 14, 2003 and we are required to abide by the terms of the Notice of Privacy Practices currently in effect. We reserve the right to change the terms of our Notice of Privacy Practices and to make the new notice provisions effective for all Protected Health Information that we maintain. We will post and you may request a written copy of a revised Notice of Privacy Practices from Familymeds.
ACCOUNT INFORMATION
When you first order with us, we will ask you to set up your account. In setting up an account with Familymeds.com, you will provide us with certain basic information, such as your name, address, e-mail address and telephone number. In addition, when you place an order, we will ask you for payment information, which may include insurance information (see Patient Profile), a credit card number and expiration date. If, at any time, you want to review or change any of your account information, you may do so by clicking "Your Account", and then selecting from the menu provided.
EXTERNAL LINKS
We provide links to other web sites that we believe can offer you useful information and services. However, we are not responsible for the privacy policies or information provided on those sites or actions of those that control other sites. You should refer to the privacy policies posted on the other sites, or contact the parties controlling the other sites for information about their information gathering processes and information use policies.
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