Common use of PHI for Health Care Operations Clause in Contracts

PHI for Health Care Operations. The Pharmacy may internally use your PHI to conduct quality assessments, improvement activities, and evaluate the Pharmacy workforce. The following is an accounting of additional ways in which the Pharmacy is permitted or required to use or disclose PHI about you without your written authorization. Uses and disclosures as required by law: The Pharmacy is required to use or disclose PHI about you as required and as limited by law. Uses and disclosure for Public Health Activities: The Pharmacy may use or disclose PHI about you to a public health authority that is authorized by law to collect 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. Uses and disclosure about victims of abuse, neglect or domestic violence: The Pharmacy 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. Uses and disclosures for health oversight activities: The Pharmacy 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, compliance with civil laws, or other activities the health oversight agency is authorized by law to conduct. Disclosures to Individuals Involved in your Care: The Pharmacy may disclose PHI about you to individuals involved in your care. You have the right to tell us to share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care. If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety. Disclosures for judicial and administrative proceedings: The Pharmacy may disclose PHI about you in the course of any judicial or administrative proceedings, provided that proper documentation is presented to the Pharmacy. Disclosures for law enforcement purposes: The Pharmacy 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. Uses and disclosures about the deceased: The Pharmacy may disclose PHI about a deceased, or prior to, and in reasonable anticipation of an individual’s death, to coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors. Uses and disclosures for cadaveric organ, eye or tissue donation purposes: The Pharmacy may use and disclose PHI for the purpose of procurement, banking, or transplantation of cadaveric organs, eyes, or tissues for donation purposes. Uses and disclosures for research purposes: The Pharmacy 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, the Pharmacy will request a signed authorization by the individual for all other research purposes. Uses and disclosures to avert a serious threat to health or safety: The Pharmacy may use or disclose PHI about you, if it believed in good faith, and is consistent with any applicable law and standards of ethical conduct, to avert a serious threat to health or safety. Uses and disclosures for specialized government functions: The Pharmacy 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. Disclosure for workers’ compensation: The Pharmacy may disclose PHI about you as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with workers’ compensation laws or programs established by law. Disclosures for disaster relief purposes: The Pharmacy 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. Disclosures to business associates: The Pharmacy may disclose PHI about you to the Pharmacy’s business associates for services that they may provide to or for the Pharmacy to assist the Pharmacy to provide quality health care. To ensure the privacy of your PHI, we require all business associates to apply appropriate safeguards to any PHI they receive or create. RESIDENT/GUARDIAN COPY