THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
As part of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, known as HIPAA, VitaScripts Pharmacy has created this Notice of Privacy Practices (Notice). This Notice describes our privacy practices and the rights you, the individual, have as they relate to the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI). Your PHI is information about you, or that could be used to identify you, as it relates to your past and present physical and mental health care services. HIPAA regulations require that we protect the privacy of your PHI that we have received or created.
We will abide by the terms presented within this Notice. For any uses or disclosures that are not listed below (including marketing and selling of PHI), we will obtain a written authorization from you for that use or disclosure, which you will have the right to revoke at any time, as explained in more detail below. We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and this Notice.
HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PHI
For Treatment: We will use the PHI that we receive from you to fill your prescription and coordinate or manage your health care.
For Payment: We will disclose your PHI to obtain payment or reimbursement from insurers for your health care services.
For Health Care Operations: We may use the minimum necessary amount of your PHI to conduct quality assessments, improvement activities, and evaluate our workforce.
As required by law: We are required to use or disclose PHI about you as required and as limited by law.
For Public Health Activities: We may use or disclose PHI about you to a public health authority authorized by law to collect it for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability. This includes the FDA so that it may monitor any adverse effects of drugs, foods, nutritional supplements and other products as required by law.
About victims of abuse, neglect or domestic violence: We may use or disclose PHI about you to a government authority if it is reasonably believed you are a victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence.
For health oversight activities: We may use or disclose PHI about you to a health oversight agency for oversight activities, which may include audits, investigations, inspections as necessary for licensure, and compliance with civil laws.
To individuals involved in your care: We may disclose PHI about you to individuals involved in your care.
For judicial and administrative proceedings: We may disclose PHI about you in the course of any judicial or administrative proceedings, provided that proper documentation is presented to us.
For law enforcement purposes: We may disclose PHI about you to law enforcement officials for authorized purposes as required by law or in response to a court order or subpoena.
About the deceased: We may disclose PHI about a deceased individual, or prior to and in reasonable anticipation of an individual's death, to coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors.
For cadaveric organ, eye or tissue donation purposes: We may use and disclose PHI for the purpose of procurement, banking, or transplantation of cadaveric organs, eyes, or tissues for donation purposes.
For research purposes: We may use and disclose PHI about you for research purposes with a valid waiver of authorization approved by an institutional review board or a privacy board. Otherwise, we will request a signed authorization from you for all other research purposes.
To avert a serious threat to health or safety: We may use or disclose PHI about you, if believed in good faith and consistent with applicable law and standards of ethical conduct, to avert a serious threat to health or safety.
For specialized government functions: We may use or disclose PHI about you for specialized government functions including military and veteran's activities, national security and intelligence, protective services, department of state functions, and correctional institutions and law enforcement custodial situations.
For workers' compensation: We may disclose PHI about you as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with workers' compensation laws or programs established by law.
For disaster relief purposes: We may disclose PHI about you as authorized by law to a public or private entity to assist in disaster relief efforts and for family and personal representative notification.
To business associates: We may disclose PHI about you to our business associates for services that they may provide to assist us in providing quality health care. We require all business associates to apply appropriate safeguards to any PHI they receive or create.
OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES
We may contact you for the following purposes:
Information about treatment alternatives: We may contact you to notify you of alternative treatments and/or products.
Health related benefits or services: We may use your PHI to notify you of benefits and services we provide.
Health Information Exchange: MMRX Health LLC dba VitaScripts endorses, supports, and participates in electronic Health Information Exchange (HIE) as a means to improve the quality of your health and healthcare experience. HIE provides us with a way to securely and efficiently share patients' clinical information electronically with other physicians and health care providers that participate in the HIE network. Using HIE helps your health care providers to more effectively share information and provide you with better care. The HIE also enables emergency medical personnel and other providers who are treating you to have immediate access to your medical data that may be critical for your care. You may choose to opt out of participation in the HIE, or cancel an opt-out choice, at any time.
FOR ALL OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES
We will obtain a written authorization from you for all other uses and disclosures of PHI, and we will only use or disclose pursuant to such an authorization. You may revoke such an authorization in writing at any time. To revoke a previously authorized use or disclosure, please contact our Pharmacy Manager.
YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION RIGHTS
Request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your PHI: You have the right to request additional restrictions on our uses and disclosures of your PHI; however, we are not required to accommodate a request. This includes the right to restrict disclosures to insurers for products and services you pay out-of-pocket for.
The right to have your PHI communicated to you by alternate means or locations: You have the right to request that we communicate confidentially with you using an address or phone number other than your residence. State and federal laws require us to have an accurate address and home phone number in case of emergencies; we will consider all reasonable requests.
The right to inspect and/or obtain a copy of your PHI: You have the right to request access to and/or a copy of your PHI for as long as we maintain it. There may be a reasonable cost-based charge for photocopying documents, and you will be notified in advance of any such charges.
The right to amend your PHI: You have the right to request an amendment of the PHI we maintain about you if you feel it is incorrect or incomplete. Under certain circumstances we may deny your request. If we do, you have the right to have the denial reviewed, and you may also ask the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review the denial.
The right to receive an accounting of disclosures of your PHI: You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures of your PHI made by us.
The right to receive additional copies of our Notice of Privacy Practices: You have the right to receive additional paper copies of this Notice upon request, even if you initially agreed to receive it electronically.
Notification of Breaches: You will be notified of any breaches that have compromised the privacy of your PHI.
REVISIONS TO THIS NOTICE
We reserve the right to change and/or revise this Notice and to make the revised version applicable to all PHI we maintain, including PHI received prior to its effective date.
COMPLAINTS
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the Secretary of HHS. We will not take any adverse action against you as a result of filing a complaint.
CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions about our privacy practices or this Notice, please contact:
MMRX Health LLC dba VitaScripts Pharmacy
Pharmacy Manager – Privacy Officer
11661 Countryway Blvd, Tampa, FL 33626
Phone: 813-264-7158 · Toll Free: 888-462-5217
Email: cs@vitascriptspharmacy.com