PMP (prescription monitoring program)

[computerblue]

Hi,

This is a great site, I have learned many positive things from it, thank you to all who speak out.

I work at a hospital, under two weeks now, my dream job. I am just wondering, can any doctor just look up my controlled Rx history because he/she feels like it. Or any employees with PMP access, simply because they feel like it, never have been seen by them once as a patient. Are healthcare employees protected? I take a urine test, I give the Rx paperwork proof from my MD to the lab, its all good, but can any MD just look you up simply due to curiosity? I just feel like if the answer is yes, we have no privacy, if the HR and Medical Officer cleared you to work on this prescribed narcotic, I don't want the whole place knowing my business, just the people who need to know during the hiring process, unless anything has raised suspicion and nothing has.

Thanks

 

[Kittycat5]

They usually have the ability to do so, but generally there must be suspicion or the patient under the professionals care. Its usually given quite a bit of latitude though. Some states allow certain law enforcement to access. That is crazy.

 

[computerblue]

Thank you, it hasn't come to that, now that I have read my post it looks that way. But, if any MD can, and you have proved you're being taken care of by an MD during hiring I would agree it is crazy. 50,000 employees, odds are people are taking meds. for many reasons.

 

[Keif' Richards]

I think they're probably not supposed to just haphazardly look up peoples' medical information, but in practice I'm sure it happens. I've watched Doctors and APRN's on a couple of occasions type my name into the database and it looks about as simple to use as Google. So, in short, I'd say it's probably wrong (violation of HIPPA?) to do something like this, but I'm sure they can if they really want to.

Unfortunately though, I gotta close this as it really has nothing to do relative to Harm Reduction.