Is patient privacy a thing in pharmacies? It definitely should be, the pharmacy board warns
Pharmacists risk disciplinary action if patients feel their privacy is not protected, the board says.
Pharmacists who diagnose thrush or counsel patients on sensitive treatments within earshot of other customers are flouting their code of conduct and risking sanctions, the Pharmacy Board of Australia warns.
AusDoc approached the board after GP Dr Max Mollenkopf wrote that he had overheard a pharmacist question a customer about a groin rash while a pharmacy assistant was grilling another customer about insomnia.
Dr Mollenkopf, the RACGP NSW/ACT deputy chair, was inspired to write the article after seeing a question posed on social media site Reddit: “Is privacy not a thing in pharmacies?”
As it turns out, privacy breaches in pharmacies have triggered complaints to both AHPRA and the pharmacy board.
