So, just a few months ago, I let you all know that HIPAA was back in the news with new court rulings, enforcement activities and how future HIPAA Audits would be occurring proactively (instead of reacting to breaches and complaints). Since then we have taken a long journey together to go over some of the items that need to be in place and happen on a daily basis, so that your pharmacy is HIPAA ready. We also looked at what…
We have been talking HIPAA Readiness for a little over a month now and I hope that it is helping you to realize you can’t afford to ignore HIPAA Compliance, or put your program on a shelf. Our final topic before we sum it all up is another HIPAA basic, policies and procedures. Mind your Ps and Qs, or in this case, your P and Ps. In the old days, many people had formal living rooms or parlors that were…
We have taken a long journey in this HIPAA Readiness series, so let’s not forget the basics. Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One: Notice of Privacy Practices Communication is the key to success. Or so read a poster on the wall in my high school English class. Communication is also the key to HIPAA compliance. You need to give every patient a Notice of Privacy the first time you provide any health service. The Notice of Privacy Practices must…
Wow! We are covering a lot of topics in this HIPAA Readiness Series! If you haven’t had a chance and want to, visit the Blog archives to catch up on the topics we have gone over so far. This next topic is an important one. Let’s Share! (Business Associate Agreements) We’ve all been taught that sharing is good. In 21st century healthcare, sharing data is essential. But, it’s also a bit worrisome. Criminals can do a lot of harm with…
The Show Must Go On! When I started this blog series on HIPAA Readiness, I had no idea that real life was going to play such a big role in my posts! After telling you why HIPAA Readiness is such a big deal right now, how to handle possible breaches and how you as a pharmacy owner are responsible for your employees actions when it comes to HIPAA, a major pipe burst and “rained on our parade.” We didn’t see…
