should I say something or leave it be?

Night owl gal

For full disclosure, I do have an addiction to codeine, but do have professional support with it (a Dr and a drug worker/counsellor). The chemist in question aren't aware of my addiction, although I'm sure they suspect.

Was in the chemist the other day, with a friend who I work with. My friend was collecting a script. When we were waiting a staff member asked my friend over for a private word. Afterwards when we were finished in the chemist my friend said to me that the staff member had told her I was in buying Nurofen plus often and was asking questions.

I was pretty annoyed! ☹️

Thankfully my friend and I are pretty close so she knows about my addiction (I told her). I don't think it's the staffs member place to be telling others what I buy in the chemist. Should I say something to the staff member or leave it be?

Idle Passerby

That seems incredibly unprofessional on the pharmacists behalf. I would imagine as medical professionals they are expected to keep customers personal details confidential. Maybe make a complaint to the manager.

suvigirl

Seems unbelievable really. Are you sure that your friend was telling the truth?

Tell your friend that you're going to make a complaint and ask her to speak to the manager with you.

marilynrr

I've actually heard of pharmacy staff doing this before, a codeine addict who would send people he worked with to get it for him and when the staff saw the uniform they questioned them and asked was it for that particular man, it happened in 2 different pharmacies as far as I know...so I'm not sure if they are bound by confidentiality for this kind of thing.

Victor

Discuss it with your doctor and have them raise it with the supervising pharmacist.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121477587#Comment_121477587

They should have simply asked the person in front of them what their symptoms were and when they admitted it was for someone else, to refuse to serve them.

Rubberchikken

Maybe a word with the manager is in order if your friend is recounting the conversation accurately.

What if you hadn't told her if the issue previously and now this person is talking about what is effectively your private business to someone else.

If they are willing to talk to your friend with you nearby then god knows who they're talking to at other times.

marilynrr

@Victor I don't know how the conversation went down prior to that, maybe they asked the symptoms and they said it wasn't for them and then they asked because of the uniform. I just looked up the code of conduct for pharmacists and the code prior to 2019 (when this happened) said they had to maintain confidentiality unless detrimental to the patients safety and welfare....which is vague and I'm not sure if that would realistically have covered the staff but it did mean that people stopped buying him codeine.....but of course it was a massive breach of confidentiality because a lot of people ended up finding out about it afterwards.

The updated code says they have to respect confidentially unless disclosure is legally required.

@Night owl gal

Did your friend buy Nurofen plus along with her prescription or perhaps buy it recently? Maybe the staff member saw you with her and then wondered had she bought it for you? She probably still wasn't allowed to do that because of the code of conduct but it would make more sense.

YellowLead

From the Pharmacy Regulator https://www.thepsi.ie/gns/Pharmacy_Practice/Queries_and_FAQs/FAQs_for_the_public.aspx

They can share information if they believe it is to protect the health and safety of a patient, which would be the case here.

Victor

"They can share information if they believe it is to protect the health and safety of a patient, which would be the case here." - that is framed towards other health professionals, not other people.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121477831#Comment_121477831

It's not actually. That pharmacy staff member was doing their job correctly. And, if you read the OP, did not, it would appear, refer to addiction but to the regular purchase of codeine products.

YellowLead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121477831#Comment_121477831

That’s not correct

gipi

Does the piece quoted by Yellowlead apply to pharmacy staff as well as the pharmacist?

HildaOgdenx

Mod - Moved to Consumer Issues as it is probably more suited to here.

Hilda

mrslancaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121477806#Comment_121477806

Nothing in that which allows someone working in a pharmacy to share the personal information of the OP with another person without permission. I would be furious if some staff member in the chemist discussed me and my medical issues with a friend or family member just out of the blue like that.

If that pharmacy staff member had any concerns they should have spoken to the OP, or the Op's GP, or just refused to sell them Nurofen at the counter.

Some pharmacists and counter staff have no idea about GDPR and regularly ignore that legislation. So many times I have heard customer medication and health problems openly discussed in full earshot of other random customers. Total disregard about keeping customer information private.

What happened the OP was completely unacceptable.

Night owl gal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121477517#Comment_121477517

yes unfortunately. I was quite shocked!

Night owl gal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121477652#Comment_121477652

no my friend wasn't buying it, it was me buying the nurofen plus...I didn't tell my friend about me buying them (as is the nature of addiction), not until recently (thankfully I told her before this happened)

Night owl gal

Thanks everyone for the replies. I'll try to find out who's in charge and tell them

Paul_Hacket

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121478456#Comment_121478456

You can be furious all you want - the text cited does indeed grant pharmacists a great deal of leniency to share and collect information basically with whoever they choose if they reasonably believe it will protect the health of the patient. Read the text again - it's right there.

Why are you furious? Did you ever ask yourself why the pharmacist might have done this? Do you think it's just out of some spirit of malice? I find faux outrage about this sort of thing absurd. Pharmacists have to make difficult decisions sometimes, as over-the-counter medications can be abused and can lead to addiction and serious health problems. The pharmacist in question has to gauge what's going on in a situation like this and having a word with a patient's friend is fair game. Sorry if you don't enjoy living in a society where your supposed sense of confidentiality usurps a pharmacist's duty to find out what is going on with a patient who is indeed abusing a substance.

Paul_Hacket

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121484200#Comment_121484200

You're taking advice from a fake outrage crowd on the internet. The pharmacist was looking out for you, he or she had the right to ask your friend that question. You do indeed have an addiction and this was the pharmacist's attempt to find out what was going on.

mrslancaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121484343#Comment_121484343

The Data Protection Commission is the state agency with responsibility for GDPR and data privacy of individuals. All organisations are governed by GDPR including the PSI - they can't make up their own rules even if some think they can.

In fact, the PSI have removed their previous guidance on GDPR and state that they are not in a position to give advice on individual data protection.

Have a read yourself - here:

Data Protection

Expand all

• How does the General Data Protection Regulation impact me or my pharmacy?
• The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into force on 25 May 2018, enhances the rights of individuals in relation to the protection of their personal data and places greater responsibilities on organisations/businesses about how they treat personal data. At the centre of the new law is the requirement for organisations and businesses to be fully transparent about how they are using and safeguarding personal data, and to be able to demonstrate accountability in relation to the data protection principles now in place.
• 
  
• Given the sensitivity of health-related information, it is imperative that healthcare professionals are clear about their use of personal data and continue to consider and maintain the confidentiality of patients’ information. Therefore, all pharmacies must have proper data protection arrangements in the interest of their patients, as well as their employees. Any employed pharmacist should expect to work in line with their employer’s governance arrangements in relation to the updated data protection requirements, and be supported to do so.
• 
  
• Changes under GDPR and data protection legislation, mean that the previously published PSI Guidance on Data Protection for Pharmacists is no longer current. Following a review, we have taken the decision not to replace the guidance, which was designed originally to give pharmacists some support in their compliance with data protection legislation. The guidance has been removed from our website, and you should also remove the guidance from the Pharmacy Practice Guidance folder in your pharmacy.
• 
  
• 
  
• The Data Protection Commission is responsible for upholding the rights of individuals in relation to their data processing. Both the Commission’s own website and their GDPRandYou website have extensive information and resources available about data protection rights and responsibilities, and the Data Protection Commission also accepts queries via their website. The PSI is not in a position to give advice to others about data protection.

YellowLead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121485347#Comment_121485347

They’re not making up their own rules. If you knew anything about GDPR, you’d know it allows for processing of data to protect the vital interests of a data subject (in this case the OP). They allow for the sharing of information in compliance with GDPR, not in breach of it.

Doodah7

So let me get this straight, the OP is in a snot because a pharmacist, carrying out their professional duty and looking out for the welfare of clients, checks with the OP's friend regarding an addiction that the friend already knows about?

I would suggest that the OP dials in the outrage and focuses on getting better.

Or use a different chemist if they are so offended that it pains them to cross the threshold.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121485470#Comment_121485470

The pharmacist would need to have a detailed privacy policy to cover themselves in this scenario.

OP - was it actually a pharmacist or a staff member who spoke with your friend?

Night owl gal

Hi there, op here, it was one of the staff members working in the pharmacy (working in the back where they get the medication ready).I don't know if she was the head pharmacist as I don't know their names.

ThreeGreens

Well, the other way of looking at it, is that the staff member was putting themselves and their job at risk to make sure that you got the help that you need. They weren't gossiping. They were trying to help you.

So maybe just be thankful that someone you barely know actually cares about you, even if you don't like how they went about it.