This statement describes how your medical information may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.

Protecting personal health information of patients and customers is important to us at Vitahealth Apothecary. Protected health information identifies and relates to the past, present, and future physical or mental health information and other health services. This statement will inform you on how Protected Health Information of “PHI” may be used and disclosed and how this information can be obtained.

Your rights

When it comes to health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.

Ask for an electronic or paper copy of your medical record

• Ask to see your electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.
• We will provide a copy or summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request.

Ask us to correct your medical record

• Ask us how you can correct health information that is incorrect or incomplete.
• If we cannot correct or say “no” to your request, we will inform you in writing within 60 days.

Request confidential communications

• Ask us to contact you via your preferred method of communication (i.e., cell or office phone) or to send mail to a different address
• All reasonable requests are will be approved

Ask us to limit what information we use and/or share

• You can ask us not to use or disclose your health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. As we are not required to agree to your request, we may say “no” if withholding information would affect your care.
• When paying for services or healthcare items out-of-pocket, you can ask us not share that information for the purpose of payment/our operations with your health insurer. We will agree to your request unless the law requires us to share that information.
• Your written authorization is required to share your health information for any purpose not mentioned in this statement.

Receive a list of those we’ve shared information with

• Ask us for a list of the times we disclose your health information. This list will include your health information for six years prior to your request date, who we shared it with, and why.
• We will include all disclosures except those about treatment, payment, healthcare operations, and specified disclosures (i.e., disclosures you asked us to make on your behalf). 

Receive a copy of this privacy statement

• Ask us for a physical copy of this privacy statement at any time. Even if you have agreed to receive the statement electronically in the past, we will provide you with a paper copy at your request.

Choose someone to act on your behalf

• If you have a legal guardian or have given someone medical power of attorney, that person can exercise your rights and make choices in regards to your health information.
• Vitahealth Apothecary will confirm that this person has such authority and can act on your behalf before we take any action.

File a complaint if you feel your rights have been violated

• If you feel that we have violated your rights in any way, please contact us by sending a letter to 1609 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10028, calling (212)772-1110, or emailing us at igor@vitahealthapothecary.com.
• You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
• Vitahealth Apothecary will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your choices

For certain health information, you decide what we share. Contact us if you have a preference for how we share your information in the situations described below. We will follow your requests to the best of our ability.

In the cases outlined below, with your permission, we can:

• Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care
• Share information in emergency situations (i.e., severe disasters as defined by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
• Include your information in a hospital directory

In situations where you are unable to tell us your preferences (ex: if you are unconscious), we may go ahead and share your information if we believe that it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when necessary to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety. 

In the cases outlined below, we will never share your information without express written consent: 

• Marketing and advertising purposes
• Sale of your information 
• Most sharing of psychotherapy notes

In the case of fundraising: 

Vitahealth Apothecary may contact you for fundraising purposes, but you can tell us not to contact you again for this purpose.

Our uses and disclosures

How do we typically use or share your health information?

Vitahealth Apothecary will typically use or share your health information in the following ways:

To treat you

We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.

Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition. 

To run our organization

We can use and share your health information in order to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary. 

Example: We use your health information to manage your treatment and services.

To bill for your services

We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.

Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.

How else can we use or share your health information?

We are allowed and/or required to share your information in other ways—usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes.

For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html

To help with public health and safety issues

We can share your health information in certain situations, for example:

• Preventing disease
• Helping with product recalls
• Reporting adverse reactions to medications
• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety

For research

We can use or share your information for health research.

To comply with the law

We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it. This includes sharing information with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services if they want to see that we are complying with federal privacy law. 

Respond to organ and tissue donation requests

We can share your health information with organ procurement organizations.

To work with a medical examiner or funeral director

We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.

To address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests

Vitahealth Apothecary can use or share your health information:

• For workers’ compensation claims
• For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement agency/official
• With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
• For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services

In response to lawsuits and legal actions

We can share your health information in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.

Our responsibilities

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• If a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information, we will let you know promptly.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this statement and give you a copy of it upon request.
• We will not use or disclose your information in situations other than those described here unless you give us express written permission. You are allowed to change your mind at any time. If you change your mind, please let us know in writing.

For more information see: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html

Changes to the terms of this statement

We have the right to change the terms of this statement. Any changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new statement will be available upon request, in our storefronts, and on our website. 

If you have any questions or would like additional information about Vitahealth Apothecary’s privacy practices, feel free to contact us. We can be reached at (212)772-1110. You can also send an email to igor@vitahealthapothecary.com or send a letter to 1609 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10028. If you believe that your rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

The effective date of this HIPAA Compliance Statement/Notice of Privacy Practices is January 1, 2021 and has been updated on January 21, 2021.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) Notice of Privacy Practices

STATE LAWS MORE STRINGENT THAN HIPAA

ALABAMA

We will not disclose your professional records to anyone without your authorization, except where it is in your best interest or where the law requires the disclosure. For Medicaid recipients: We will disclose information pertaining to your treatment (including billing statements and itemized bills) only to: the Medicaid Fiscal Agent; the Social Security Administration; the Alabama Vocational Rehabilitation Agency; the Alabama Medicaid Agency; insurance companies requesting information about a Medicaid claim filed by the provider, an insurance application, payment of life insurance benefits, or payment of a loan; or other providers who need the information for treatment of the patient.

CALIFORNIA

California law limits disclosure of your medical information in ways that would otherwise be permitted under federal law. In the situations described below, the pharmacy will disclose your medical information as follows: (a) the information may be disclosed to providers of health care, health care service plans, contractors or other health care professionals or facilities for purposes of diagnosis or treatment of the patient. This includes, in an emergency situation, the communication of patient information by radio transmission or other means between licensed emergency medical personnel at the scene of an emergency, or in an emergency medical transport vehicle, and licensed emergency medical personnel at a health facility; (b) the information may be disclosed to an insurer, employer, health care service plan, hospital service plan, employee benefit plan, governmental authority, contractor or any other person or entity responsible for paying for health care services rendered to the patient to the extent necessary to allow responsibility for payment to be determined and payment to be made. If the patient is, by reason of a comatose or other disabling medical condition, unable to consent to the disclosure of medical information and no other arrangements have been made to pay for the health care services being rendered to the patient, the information may also be disclosed to a governmental authority to the extent necessary to determine the patient’s eligibility for, and to obtain, payment under a governmental program for health care services provided to the patient. The information may also be disclosed to another provider of health care or health care service plan as necessary to assist the other provider or health care service plan in obtaining payment for health care services rendered by that provider of health care or health care service plan to the patient; (c) the information may be disclosed to any person or entity that provides billing, claims management, medical data processing, or other administrative services for providers of health care or health care service plans or for any of the persons or entities specified above in paragraph (b). However, no information so disclosed may be further disclosed by the recipient in any way that would be violative of California laws governing the use and disclosure of medical information without authorization from the patient; (d) the information may be disclosed to organized committees and agents of professional societies or of medical staffs of licensed hospitals, licensed health care service plans, professional standards review organizations, independent medical review organizations and their selected reviewers, utilization and quality control peer review organizations, contractors or persons or organizations insuring, responsible for, or defending professional liability that a provider may incur, if the committees, agents, health care service plans, organizations, reviewers, contractors or persons are engaged in reviewing the competence or qualifications of health care professionals or in reviewing health care services with respect to medical necessity, level of care, quality of care, or justification of charges; (e) a provider of health care or health care service plan that has created medical information as a result of employment-related health care services to an employee conducted at the specific prior written request and expense of the employer may disclose to the employee’s employer that: (1) is relevant in a law suit, arbitration, grievance, or other claim or challenge to which the employer and the employee are parties and in which the patient has placed in issue his or her medical history, mental or physical condition, or treatment, provided that information may only be used or disclosed in connection with that proceeding; (2) describes functional limitations of the patient that may entitle the patient to leave from work for medical reasons or limit the patient’s fitness to perform his or her present employment, provided that no statement of medical cause is included in the information disclosed; (f) unless the provider of health care or health care service plan is notified in writing of an agreement by the sponsor, insurer, or administrator to the contrary, the information may be disclosed to a sponsor, insurer, or administrator of a group or individual insured or uninsured plan or policy that the patient seeks coverage by or benefits from, if the information was created by the provider of health care or health care service plan as the result of services conducted at the specific prior written request and expense of the sponsor, insurer, or administrator for the purpose of evaluating the application for coverage or benefits; (g) the information may be disclosed to a health care service plan by providers of health care that contract with the health care service plan and may be transferred among providers of health care that contract with the health care service plan, for the purpose of administering the health care service plan. Medical information may not otherwise be disclosed by a health care service plan except in accordance with the provisions of this part; (h) the information may be disclosed to an insurance institution, agent or support organization of medical information if the insurance institution, agent, or support organization has complied with all requirements for obtaining the information pursuant to the requirements of the California Insurance Code provisions; (i) the information may be disclosed to an organ procurement organization or a tissue bank processing the tissue of a decedent for transplantation into the body of another person, but only with respect to the donating decedent for the purpose of aiding the transplant; (j) basic information, including your name, city of residence, age, sex, and general condition, may be disclosed to a state or federally recognized disaster relief organization for the purpose of responding to disaster welfare inquiries; (k) the information may be disclosed to a third party for purposes of encoding, encrypting, or otherwise anonymizing data. However, no information may be further disclosed by the recipient in any way that would be unauthorized manipulation of coded or encrypted medical information that reveals individually identifiable medical information; (l) for purposes of disease management programs and services, information may be disclosed to any entity contracting with a health care service plan or the health care service plan’s contractors to monitor or administer care of enrollees for a covered benefit, provided that the disease management services and care are authorized by a treating physician or to any disease management organization that complies fully with the physician authorization requirements, provided that the health care service plan or its contractor provides or has provided a description of the disease management services to a treating physician or to the health care service plan’s or contractor’s network of physicians; (m) the information may be may disclosed to a county social worker, a probation officer, or any other person who is legally authorized to have custody or care of a minor for the purpose of coordinating health care services and medical treatment provided to the minor; (n) the information may be disclosed to an employee welfare benefit plan, to the extent that the employee welfare benefit plan provides medical care, and may also be disclosed to an entity contracting with the employee welfare benefit plan for billing, claims management, medical data processing, or other administrative services related to the provision of medical care to persons enrolled in the employee welfare benefit plan for health care coverage; and (o) the information may be disclosed to the appropriate authorities if there is suspected elder abuse.

CONNECTICUT

We will not disclose information about pharmaceutical services rendered to you to third parties without your consent, except to the following persons: (a) the prescribing practitioner or a pharmacist or another prescribing practitioner presently treating you when deemed medically appropriate; (b) a nurse who is acting as an agent for a prescribing practitioner that is presently treating you or a nurse providing care to you in a hospital; (c) third party payors who pay claims for pharmaceutical services rendered to you or who have a formal agreement or contract to audit any records or information in connection with such claims; (d) any governmental agency with statutory authority to review or obtain such information; (e) any individual, the state or federal government or any agency thereof or court pursuant to a subpoena; and (f) any individual, corporation, partnership or other legal entity which has a written agreement with the pharmacy to access the pharmacy’s database provided the information accessed is limited to data which does not identify specific individuals. We will not sell your individually identifiable medical record information.

GEORGIA

Unless authorized by you, we will not disclose your confidential information to anyone other than you or your authorized representative, except to the following persons or entities: (a) the prescriber, or other licensed health care practitioners caring for you; (b) another licensed pharmacist for purposes of transferring a prescription or as part of a patient’s drug utilization review, or other patient counseling requirements; (c) the Board of Pharmacy, or its representative; or (d) any law enforcement personnel duly authorized to receive such information. We may also disclose your confidential information without your consent pursuant to a subpoena issued and signed by an authorized government official or a court order issued and signed by a judge of an appropriate court. We will not disclose AIDS confidential information, except in situations where the subject of the information has provided us with a written authorization allowing the release or where we are authorized or required by state or federal law to make the disclosure.

IDAHO

We will not release your identifiable prescription information to anyone other than you or your designee, unless requested by any of the following persons or entities: (a) the Board of Pharmacy, or its representatives, acting in their official capacity; (b) the practitioner, or the practitioner’s designee, who issued your prescription; (c) other licensed health care professionals who are responsible for your care; (d) agents of the Department of Health and Welfare when acting in their official capacity with reference to issues related to the practice of pharmacy; (e) agents of any board whose practitioners have prescriptive authority, when the board is enforcing laws governing that practitioner; (f) an agency of government charged with the responsibility for providing medical care for you; (g) the federal Food and Drug Administration, for purposes relating to monitoring of adverse drug events in compliance with the requirements of federal law, rules or regulations adopted by the FDA; and (h) the authorized insurance benefit provider or health plan that provides your health care coverage or pharmacy benefits.

INDIANA

We will disclose your confidential information only when it is in your best interests, when the information is requested by the Board of Pharmacy or its representatives or by a law enforcement officer charged with the enforcement of laws pertaining to drugs or devices or the practice of pharmacy, or when disclosure is essential to our business operations.

KENTUCKY

We will not disclose your patient information or the nature of professional services rendered to you without your express consent or without a court order, except to the following authorized persons: (a) members, inspectors, or agents of the Board of Pharmacy; (b) you, your agent, or another pharmacist acting on your behalf; (c) another person, upon your request; (d) certified or licensed health care personnel who are responsible for your care; (e) certain state government agents charged with enforcing the controlled substances laws; (f) federal, state, or municipal government officers who are investigating a specific person regarding drug charges; and (g) a government agency that may be providing medical care to you, upon that agency’s written request for information. We will only use your information to provide pharmacy care.

MAINE

We will not disclose your health care information for fund raising purposes or to coroners or funeral directors, without your authorization. We will only disclose patient identifiable communicable disease information to Department of Human Services for adult or child protection purposes or to other public health officials, agents or agencies or to officials of a school where a child is enrolled, for public health purposes. In a public health emergency, as declared by the state health officer, we may also release your information to private health care providers and agencies for the purpose of preventing further disease transmission.

MASSACHUSETTS

For Medicaid recipients: We will restrict the disclosure of your information to purposes directly connected with the administration of the Medicaid program.

MICHIGAN

Unless authorized by you, we will not disclose your prescription or equivalent record on file, except to the following persons: (a) you, or another pharmacist acting on your behalf; (b) the authorized prescriber who issued the prescription, or a licensed health professional who is currently treating you; (c) an agency or agent of government responsible for the enforcement of laws relating to drugs and devices; (d) or a person authorized by a court order; or (e) a person engaged in research projects or studies with protocols approved by the Michigan Board of Pharmacy. We will not disclose AIDS-related information about an individual except in situations where the subject of the information has provided us with a written authorization allowing the release or where we are authorized or required by state or federal law to make the disclosure.

NEVADA

We will not disclose the contents of your prescriptions or disclose any copies of your prescriptions, other than to you, except to: (a) the practitioner who issued the prescription; (b) the practitioner who is currently treating you; (c) a member, inspector or investigator of the Board of Pharmacy, an inspector of the FDA, or an agent of the investigation division of the department of public safety; (d) an agency of state government charged with the responsibility of providing medical care for you; (e) an insurance carrier, on receipt of your written authorization or your legal guardian authorizing the release of information; (f) any person authorized by an order of a district court; (g) a member, inspector, or investigator of a professional licensing board that licenses the practitioner who orders the prescriptions filled at the pharmacy; (h) other registered pharmacists for the limited purpose of and to the extent necessary for the exchange of information regarding persons suspected of misusing prescriptions to obtain excessive amounts of drugs or failing to use a drug in conformity with the directions for its use, or taking a drug in combination with other drugs in a manner that could result in injury to that person; (i) a peace officer employed by a local government for the limited purpose of and to the extent necessary to investigate an alleged crime committed at the pharmacy and reported by an employee or to carry out a search warrant or subpoena issued pursuant to a court order; and (j) a county coroner, medical examiner or investigator employed by an office of a county coroner for the purpose of identifying a deceased person; determining a cause of death; or performing other duties authorized by law.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

We will only disclose your professional records if: (a) we have obtained your permission to do so; (b) it is an emergency situation and it is in your best interest for us to disclose the information; or (c) the law requires us to disclose the information. We will not use, release, or sell your identifiable medical information for the purpose of sales or marketing of services or products unless you have provided us with a written authorization permitting such activity.

NEW JERSEY

For Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled Program recipients: We will not disclose you personally identifiable information without you or your agent’s consent, except for purposes directly connected to the administration of the PAAD program or as otherwise permitted by state or federal law.

NEW YORK

We may not give a patient a copy of a prescription for a controlled substance, and for copies of other types of prescriptions, we must indicate that the copy is for informational purposes only. We use a common database among all Rite Aid stores to store prescription information.

OHIO

Unless we have obtained your written consent, we will only disclose your pharmacy records to: (a) you; (b) the prescriber who issued the prescription or medication order (c) certified/ licensed health care personnel who are responsible for your care; (d) a member, inspector, agent, or investigator of the state board of pharmacy or any federal, state, county, or municipal officer whose duty is to enforce the laws of this state or the United States relating to drugs and who is engaged in a specific investigation involving a designated person or drug; (e) an agent of the state medical board or state board of nursing when enforcing the statutes governing physicians, limited practitioners, or nurses; (f) an agency of government charged with the responsibility of providing medical care for you, upon a written request by an authorized representative of the agency requesting such information; (g) an agent of a medical insurance company who provides prescription insurance coverage to you, upon authorization and proof of insurance by you or proof of payment by the insurance company for those medications whose information is requested; (h) an agent who contracts with the pharmacy as a “business associate” in accordance with the regulations promulgated by the secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to the federal standards for privacy of individually identifiable health information; or (i) in emergency situations, when it is in your best interest.

PENNSYLVANIA

We will not disclose any HIV-related information, except in situations where the subject of the information has provided us with a written consent allowing the release or where we are authorized or required by state or federal law to make the disclosure.

RHODE ISLAND

We will only disclose your prescription information to our agents and persons directly involved in your care. We will not disclose your confidential health care information without your consent, except in the following situations: (a) to a physician, dentist, or other medical personnel who believe in good faith that the information is necessary to diagnose or treat you in a medical or dental emergency; (b) to medical and dental peer review boards , or the board of medical licensure and discipline, or board of examiners in dentistry; (c) to qualified personnel for the purpose of conducting scientific research, management audits, financial audits, program evaluations, actuarial, insurance underwriting, or similar studies, provided that personnel does not identify, directly or indirectly, you in any report of that research, audit, or evaluation, or otherwise disclose your identity in any manner; (d) to appropriate law enforcement personnel, or to a person if the pharmacist believes that you may pose a danger to that person or his or her family; or to appropriate law enforcement personnel if you have attempted or are attempting to obtain narcotic drugs from the pharmacy illegally; or to appropriate law enforcement personnel or appropriate child protective agencies if you are a minor child or the parent or guardian of such child and the pharmacist believes, after providing services to you, that the child is or has been physically, psychologically or sexually abused and neglected as reportable pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 40-11-3; or to law enforcement personnel in the case of a gunshot wound reportable under section 11-47-48; the disclosures authorized by this subsection being limited to the minimum amount of information necessary to accomplish the intended purpose of the release of information; (e) between or among qualified personnel and health care providers within the health care system for purposes of coordination of health care services given to you and for purposes of education and training within the same health care facility; (f) to third party health insurers for the purpose of adjudicating health insurance claims including to utilization review agents, third party administrators, and other entities that provide operational support; (g) to a malpractice insurance carrier or lawyer if we have reason to anticipate a medical liability action; (h) to our own lawyer or medical liability insurance carrier if you initiate a medical liability action against our pharmacy; (i) to public health authorities in order to carry out their designated functions. These functions include, but are not restricted to, investigations into the causes of disease, the control of public health hazards, enforcement of sanitary laws, investigation of reportable diseases, certification and licensure of health professionals and facilities, and review of health care such as that required by the federal government and other governmental agencies; (j) to the state medical examiner in the event of a fatality that comes under his or her jurisdiction; (k) in relation to information that is directly related to a current claim for workers’ compensation benefits or to any proceeding before the workers’ compensation commission or before any court proceeding relating to workers’ compensation; (l) to our attorneys whenever we consider the release of information to be necessary in order to receive adequate legal representation; (m) to appropriate school authorities of disease, health screening and/or immunization information required by the school; or when a school age child transfers from one school or school district to another school or school district; (n) to a law enforcement authority to protect the legal interest of an insurance institution, agent, or insurance-support organization in preventing and prosecuting the perpetration of fraud upon them; (o) to a grand jury or to a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to a subpoena or subpoena duces tecum when that information is required for the investigation or prosecution of criminal wrongdoing by a health care provider relating to his or her or its provisions of health care services and that information is unavailable from any other source; provided, that any information so obtained is not admissible in any criminal proceeding against you; (p) to the state board of elections pursuant to a subpoena or subpoena duces tecum when the information is required to determine your eligibility to vote by mail ballot and/or the legitimacy of a certification by a physician attesting to a voter’s illness or disability; (q) to certify the nature and permanency of your illness or disability, the date when you were last examined and that it would be an undue hardship for you to vote at the polls so that you may obtain a mail ballot; (r) to the Medicaid fraud control unit of the attorney general’s office for the investigation or prosecution of criminal or civil wrongdoing by a health care provider relating to his or her or its provision of health care services to then Medicaid eligible recipients or patients, residents, or former patients or residents of long term residential care facilities; provided, that any information obtained is not admissible in any criminal proceeding against you; (s) to the state department of children, youth, and families pertaining to the disclosure of health care records of children in the custody of the department; (t) to the foster parent or parents pertaining to the disclosure of health care records of children in the custody of the foster parent or parents; provided, that the foster parent or parents receive appropriate training and have ongoing availability of supervisory assistance in the use of sensitive information that may be the source of distress to these children; (u) to the workers’ compensation fraud prevention unit for purposes of investigation; or, (v) to a probate court of competent jurisdiction, petitioner, respondent, and/or their attorneys, when the information is contained within a decision – making assessment tool which conforms to applicable state law.

SOUTH CAROLINA

We will not disclose your prescription drug information without first obtaining your consent, except in the following circumstances: (a) the lawful transmission of a prescription drug order in accordance with state and federal laws pertaining to the practice of pharmacy; (b) communications among licensed practitioners, pharmacists and other health care professionals who are providing or have provided services to you; (c) information gained as a result of a person requesting informational material from a prescription drug or device manufacturer or vendor; (d) information necessary to effect the recall of a defective drug or device or protect the health and welfare of an individual or the public; (e) information whereby the release is mandated by other state or federal laws, court order, or subpoena or regulations (e.g., accreditation or licensure requirements); (f) information necessary to adjudicate or process payment claims for health care, if the recipient makes no further use or disclosure of the information; (g) information voluntarily disclosed by you to entities outside of the provider-patient relationship; (h) information used in clinical research monitored by an institutional review board, with your written authorization; (i) information which does not identify you by name, or that is encoded so that identifying you by name or address is generally not possible, and that is used for epidemiological studies, research, statistical analysis, medical outcomes, or pharmacoeconomic research; (j) information transferred in connection with the sale of a business; (k) information necessary to disclose to third parties in order to perform quality assurance programs, medical records review, internal audits or similar programs, if the third party makes no other use or disclosure of the information; (l) information that may be revealed to a party who obtains a dispensed prescription on your behalf; or (m) information necessary in order for a health plan licensed by the South Carolina Department of Insurance to perform case management, utilization management, and disease management for individuals enrolled in the health plan, if the third party makes no other use or disclosure of the information.

We will not disclose your information or the nature of professional pharmacy services rendered to you, without your express consent or the order or direction of a court, except to: (a) you, or your agent, or another pharmacist acting on your behalf; (b) the practitioner who issued the prescription drug order; (c) certified/licensed health care personnel who are responsible for your care; (d) an inspector, agent or investigator from the Board of Pharmacy or any federal, state, county, or municipal officer whose duty is to enforce the laws of South Carolina or the United States relating to drugs or devices and who is engaged in a specific investigation involving a designated person or drug; and (e) a government agency charged with the responsibility of providing medical care for you upon written request by an authorized representative of the agency requesting the information.

TENNESSEE

We will obtain your authorization before we disclose your patient records for any reason, except where: (a) the disclosure is in your best interest; (b) the law requires the disclosure; or (c) the disclosure is to an authorized prescriber or to communicate a prescription order where necessary to: (1) carry out prospective drug use review as required by law; (2) assist prescribers in obtaining a comprehensive drug history on you; (3) prevent abuse or misuse of a drug or device and the diversion of controlled substances; or (4) provide a medication therapy management program or a quality assurance program. We will not disclose your name and address or other identifying information, except to: (a) a health or government authority pursuant to any reporting required by law; (b) an interested third-party payor for the purpose of utilization review, case management, peer reviews, or other administrative functions; (c) a health care provider from whom you receive or are seeking care; or (d) to the office of inspector general or the Medicaid fraud control unit with respect to an ongoing investigation; (e) in response to a subpoena issued by a court of competent jurisdiction. We will not sell your name and address or other identifying information for any purpose.

UTAH

We will not release or discuss information in your prescription or medication profile to anyone except: (a) you or your legal guardian or designee; (b) a lawfully authorized federal, state, or local drug enforcement officer; (c) a third party payment program authorized by you; (d) another pharmacist, pharmacy intern, pharmacy technician, or prescribing practitioner providing services to you or to whom you have requested us transfer a prescription; (e) your attorney, with a written authorization signed by: (1) you before a notary public; (2) your parent or lawful guardian, if you are a minor; (3) your lawful guardian, if you are incompetent; or (4) your personal representative, in the case of deceased patients. We may submit your personally identifiable information to state databases to determine if you are eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

VERMONT

Unless we have your consent or a court order, we will not disclose your information or the nature of services rendered to you, except to the following persons: (a) you, your agent, or another pharmacist acting on your behalf; (b) the practitioner who issued the prescription drug order; (c) certified or licensed health care personnel who are responsible for your care; (d) a Board of Pharmacy or federal, state, county, or municipal officer that enforces state or federal law relating to drugs or devices, pursuant to an investigation of a designated drug or person; or (e) a government agency responsible for providing medical care for you, upon a written request by an authorized agency representative.

WASHINGTON

Unless authorized by you, we will not disclose your health care information, except if the recipient needs to know the information and the disclosure is: (a) to a person who the pharmacist reasonably believes is providing health care to you; (b) to any other person who requires health care information for healthcare education, or to provide planning, quality assurance, peer review, or administrative, legal, financial, or actuarial services to the pharmacy; or for assisting the pharmacy in the delivery of health care and the pharmacist reasonably believes that the person will not use or disclose the health care information for any other purpose and will take appropriate steps to protect the health care information; (c) to any other health care provider reasonably believed to have previously provided health care to you, to the extent necessary to provide health care to you, unless you have instructed the pharmacy in writing not to make the disclosure; (d) to any person if the pharmacist reasonably believes that disclosure will avoid or minimize an imminent danger to your or another individual’s health or safety, however there is no obligation on the part of the pharmacist to so disclose; (e) to your immediate family members, or any other individual with whom you have a close personal relationship, if made in accordance with good medical or other professional practice, unless you have instructed us in writing not to make the disclosure; (f) to a health care provider who is the successor in interest to the pharmacy; (g) to a person who obtains information for purposes of an audit, if that person agrees in writing to remove or destroy, at the earliest opportunity consistent with the purpose of the audit, information that would enable you to be identified and not to disclose the information further, except to accomplish the audit or report unlawful or improper conduct involving fraud in payment for health care by a health care provider or patient, or other unlawful conduct by the pharmacy; (h) to an official of a penal or other custodial institution in which you are detained; or (i) to provide directory information, unless you have instructed the pharmacy not to make the disclosure.

We will not disclose any information regarding an individual’s treatment for a sexually transmitted disease, except in situations where the subject of the information has provided us with a written authorization allowing the release or where we are authorized or required by state or federal law to make the disclosure.

WEST VIRGINIA

We will not disclose confidential information relating to an individual who is obtaining or has obtained treatment for a mental illness, without the individual’s written consent, except in the following circumstances: (a) with the signed, written consent of the individual or his legal guardian; (b) in certain proceedings involving involuntary examinations; (c) pursuant to a court order in which the court found the relevance of the information to outweigh the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of the information; (d) to provide notice to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; (e) to protect against clear and substantial danger of imminent injury by the individual to himself or another; or (f) to staff of the mental health facility where the individual is being cared for or to other health professionals involved in treatment of the individual, for treatment or internal review purposes