Security of Personal Info on Prescription Medication

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allan

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#298427 16-Jun-2022 18:44

Anyone else think that the printed sheets that pharmacies seem to attach to the outside of the packaging on prescription medication these days s a huge security risk? It shows:

Name and address
All contact phone numbers
DOB
NHI number
Your GP's name and medical centre
A list of all medication you are on, whether it is being prescribed this time or not

If someone wants to assume your identity, they pretty much have a starter for ten all on one little page. I'm pretty scrupulous about blotting out the info with a felt pen and/or shredding it, but I imagine for a lot of people it goes straight into the recycling or rubbish.

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#2930525 16-Jun-2022 19:25

My most recent prescription only has my name and doctor's name. That was in December; has something changed since then or is this pharmacy-dependent?

allan

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#2930528 16-Jun-2022 19:41

Behodar:

My most recent prescription only has my name and doctor's name. That was in December; has something changed since then or is this pharmacy-dependent?

To clarify, this is not the prescription itself, but the details printed on an A5 piece of paper attached to the medication packaging when you collect it. I guess it could be the specific application used by the pharmacy to manage their medication dispensing, but having recently seen the same thing attached to a relative's medication from a different pharmacy, I assumed it was NZ universal.

Behodar

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#2930545 16-Jun-2022 19:53

Ah. We have differing definitions of "packaging" :)

I can't remember what came on the bag.

Edit: Actually, I still have the bag! It has my name, truncated address, and doctor's name.

farcus

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#2930653 16-Jun-2022 23:14

I always get this sheet folded and handed to me separately from the prescription packaging.

Speedy885

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#2934742 27-Jun-2022 01:26

If I were on prescription drugs whether it be one or 5 different ones, I would be happy knowing the Pharmacy techs can see at a glance what they are on said piece of paper. When it comes to disposing of that sheet of paper, its peoples own fault if they don't either burn it or shred it.

tdgeek

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#2934753 27-Jun-2022 07:14

Speedy885: If I were on prescription drugs whether it be one or 5 different ones, I would be happy knowing the Pharmacy techs can see at a glance what they are on said piece of paper. When it comes to disposing of that sheet of paper, its peoples own fault if they don't either burn it or shred it.

Yep, who cares. You can't trust your chemist, bank, doctor, lawyer, IRD and the many others that know a lot about you, including the myriad of loyalty cards many seem to have?

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Dratsab

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#2934756 27-Jun-2022 07:52

allan: I'm pretty scrupulous about blotting out the info with a felt pen and/or shredding it, but I imagine for a lot of people it goes straight into the recycling or rubbish.

Blotting out with a felt pen is a waste of time. Try this: blot some info out with a felt pen as you usually do, then hold the piece of paper up to a decent light source source such as a light bulb. What do you see..?

Or just photocopy it. There's a reason documents redacted by hand are photocopies of photocopies.

gehenna

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#2934765 27-Jun-2022 08:43

The issue raised seems to be more that someone else could claim a prescription on behalf, and then get the drugs and paper with the info. Most pharmacies will ask to confirm the address before handing over, but I agree it's not a foolproof system. I often collect for my wife and she for me because the pharmacy knows us. But I can see the risk that's being described above and it's genuinely concerning. Then again, what's stopping someone taking the mail out of your letterbox and getting the same info out of your bills etc.

Geektastic

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#2934772 27-Jun-2022 09:07

The sheet serves no purpose other than wasting paper as far as I can tell.

I get prepared medication in daily blister packs and the top of each sheet of blisters also has all that info on. I have to cut it off and shred it along with the pointless sheets of paper every month.

Geektastic

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#2934773 27-Jun-2022 09:09

Speedy885: If I were on prescription drugs whether it be one or 5 different ones, I would be happy knowing the Pharmacy techs can see at a glance what they are on said piece of paper. When it comes to disposing of that sheet of paper, its peoples own fault if they don't either burn it or shred it.

They don’t use the sheet of paper. They use a computer.

cisconz

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#2934774 27-Jun-2022 09:25

Geektastic:
Speedy885: If I were on prescription drugs whether it be one or 5 different ones, I would be happy knowing the Pharmacy techs can see at a glance what they are on said piece of paper. When it comes to disposing of that sheet of paper, its peoples own fault if they don't either burn it or shred it.

They don’t use the sheet of paper. They use a computer.

Not true, it is part of the check and balance process as that sheet goes around with the bottle when they are filling it.

Or if using blister packs, it is cross-referenced between the info on the blister pack and the info on the sheet.

Hmmmm

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Bung

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#2934781 27-Jun-2022 10:07

I don't think individual pharmacies can see prescriptions you've had filled elsewhere. You can take those forms into your usual place if you want the items to count towards your family total before you stop paying the $5 part charge.

gehenna

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#2934793 27-Jun-2022 10:40

The centralised system has been under development for a few years IIRC. Maybe it'll come as part of HealthNZ

allan

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#2934805 27-Jun-2022 11:21

gehenna:

The issue raised seems to be more that someone else could claim a prescription on behalf, and then get the drugs and paper with the info. Most pharmacies will ask to confirm the address before handing over, but I agree it's not a foolproof system. I often collect for my wife and she for me because the pharmacy knows us. But I can see the risk that's being described above and it's genuinely concerning. Then again, what's stopping someone taking the mail out of your letterbox and getting the same info out of your bills etc

I'm not aware of any mail that I receive that contains all of: Name, address, DOB, NHI number, all contact phone numbers, GP details plus a complete list of my medication in one place

tdgeek:

Yep, who cares. You can't trust your chemist, bank, doctor, lawyer, IRD and the many others that know a lot about you, including the myriad of loyalty cards many seem to have

Even the IRD doesn't know that much about me 😀

richms

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#2934813 27-Jun-2022 11:44

Pharmacies are terrible for information security. They are often asking people for their phone numbers with a queue of people behind them. Not something you want a creep behind you in the queue knowing. I usually show them mine on the phone but I am hardly a target for stalking.

Richard rich.ms

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