Search Privacy Violations, Breaches and Complaints
This database was last updated in December 2015 ago and should only be used as a historical snapshot. More recent data on breaches affecting 500 or more people is available at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Breach Portal.
VA Southeast Network (VISN 7)
Mentioned in a privacy incident report created by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on August 29, 2012. Also cited in 225 other reports.
Report ID: SPE000000079688, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Reported Entity: VISN 07 Tuscaloosa, AL
Issue:
Veteran A presented to the Outpatient Pharmacy Window to retrieve his prescribed medication. It was determined that Veteran B had inadvertently received Veteran As medication earlier the same day. The window pharmacy technician retrieved the incorrect Veterans medication from the vault and dispensed said medication out of the outpatient pharmacy window. The prescription orders for both Veterans were for the same medication, the same quantity, and the same directions. No harm would have occurred to Veteran B related to the wrong name on prescription vial. Attempts to contact Veteran B in order to correct the error have been unsuccessful at this time but continued attempts will be made. The pharmacy technician stated that she believes that she scanned both the prescription and Veteran As card via the ScriptPro check out system. The ScriptPro check out system will warn the pharmacy technician or the pharmacist if the Veteran ID card scanned does not match the Veterans information on the bag. It is noted that technicians or pharmacist do not always verify first and last name at the time of retrieval from the controlled substance vault; the ScriptPro verification is used as the name validation process. All technicians and pharmacists were notified to visually confirm both first and last name regardless of use of ScriptPro. Scanning the ID card in ScriptPro should be the second verification point after visual confirmation. Update: 08/30/12:Veteran A will be sent a notification letter.
Outcome:
The Privacy Officer has generated and mailed the Notification Letter to the Veterans. Re-education was provided to the VA employee regarding appropriate methods for handling and securing patient sensitive information. The Privacy Officer's investigation is complete and is requesting that the case be closed.