By Healthcare Facilities Today

A recent report found Walgreens' "Well Experience" pharmacy model was a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), according to an article on the Information Week website.

The September report, issued by Change to Win Retail Initiatives (CtW), used data from 100 observations of 50 stores throughout Florida, Illinois and Indiana. CtW subsequently filed a complaint to Health and Human Services alleging numerous breaches of HIPAA.

Walgreens' "Well Experience" model was launched in late 2011, the article said. The model relocates pharmacists from behind pharmacy counters to a work station in front of the counter, moving them away from the actual prescription fill area. From the work station, the pharmacist can remotely monitor pharmacy technicians and check prescription accuracy using photos and video displayed on a computer screen.

The report found pharmacists' computer screens and mobile devices, used to review prescription information, were sometimes unattended and visible to the public. Sensitive phone conversations could also be overheard.

In 80% of stores visited, HIPAA-protected patient information was left unattended and visible to customers in the pharmacy area. Prescription medicine was left unattended and within the reach of customers in 46% of stores visited, the article said.

"We don't have a culture of privacy about health information," said Deborah Peel, founder and chair of Patient Privacy Rights, a patient advocacy non-profit. "We're in a new era where people aren't thinking about privacy because they don't yet understand the incredible changes that technology has brought."

Read the article.