10 September 2013

Another medical records dump

| johnboy
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medical records

Gerry-Built has sent in these pictures:

Interesting dump at Belconnen recycling depot

Boxes of prescriptions with patient names etc… Are there not laws protecting against this?

All imprinted with Amcal Pharmacy Jamison… Thousands of scripts with personal details including addresses and there may be credit card imprints, too

medical records

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Nixter said :

Gerry, I’d try the ACT Health Services Commissioner:

http://www.hrc.act.gov.au/health/content.php/category.view/id/6

Thanks for the suggestions, people… I had an email via John, from the Health Services Commissioner’s Office (ACT Human Rights Commission)… apparently there was a team there clearing the cage for a few hours… I’m sure they’ll handle the follow-ups required… Probably worth noting for “next time” in case anyone is after advice on what to do…

I would be reporting this to the privacy commissioner

Gerry, I’d try the ACT Health Services Commissioner:

http://www.hrc.act.gov.au/health/content.php/category.view/id/6

Looks like records of scripts post claim submissions to medicare. They are meant to be kept for 7 years if I remember correctly.

Scripts only valid for 1 year, so if one says 2011, it is at best as old as 2010. Naughty.

Medicare might be interested…

p1 said :

Any scrips for the good stuff still valid?

For obvious reasons, I didn’t rifle through it – but the one on top was dated 2011

Good work for alerting people about this – and using RA too! Though, I expect a CT article on it, now that it has popped up here….! Haha!

It is against the law to dump any medical records. They need to be shredded or taken to a shredding facility for secure destruction. I’d say the Chemist or whomever dumped on their behalf could be in all sorts of trouble. In saying that, this has happened before where old office furniture is sold off, never emptied only for the new owneers to discover the lot inside and dump them. It’s shameful and I hope someone has the butt well and truly kicked over this.

Any scrips for the good stuff still valid? Just asking out of curiosity of course….

…should probably add that I tried to be responsible by calling Canberra Connect (the number listed all over the Recycle Centre). They said they had “someone on the way” – but I couldn’t hang around. I also called the Police (who were not interested, but said they’d pass it on to Canberra Connect). I have since contacted the Pharmacy Guild, and am open to suggestions of who else to call so something can be done to ensure this is less likely to happen again. What a massive invasion of trust and privacy o.O

Rawhide Kid Part310:12 am 10 Sep 13

Could be against the law under Privacy legislation and known where the records come from, some hefty fines. http://tinyurl.com/nzp5qe9

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