Health Law Blog
Lawmakers, providers and patients review HIPAA and HITECH’s legacy
HIPAA is almost 25 years old, and articles have begun looking at its impact. Lawmakers first enacted the landmark law in 1996, the year before the invention of the DVD. Aiming for security and privacy in U.S. health care, HIPAA began in the era of mostly paper...
What counts as a patient information breach?
Arizona saw nearly 80,000 patient records breached in the first half of 2019 alone. Despite everything health care professionals do to lock up patient information, some experts say data safety is in crisis. In the future, more people will likely get all the...
Salespeople sue drug companies for whistleblower retaliation
A federal jury in Seattle recently awarded $5.8 million to a Tacoma-based pharmaceutical sales representative. She said her employer fired her to retaliate for her refusing to push a product’s off-label uses and for filing an ethics complaint with the company. Also,...
Doctors and pharmacies face different malpractice tests
Physicians and pharmacists may share the same goal of helping people live longer and better lives. But two recent cases remind us that legal duties differ from role to role in the healthcare system. The results of the suits show how pharmacies and clinics may work...
How can I avoid violating the anti-kickback statute?
The anti-kickback statute was passed in 1972 to prevent doctors or physicians from receiving and accepting a bribe to refer patients to certain facilities or programs. Congress also enacted this law to protect healthcare patients and government-run health programs and...
Safe handling of hazardous drugs takes more than rules
Pharmacies and the rest of the health system are still meeting and adjusting to the changes brought by USP 800. Not meeting its standards for handling hazardous drugs can pose medical risks for patients and staff as well as professional and legal risks. But a recent...
Received notice of a complaint against your professional license?
If you are a doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist or another medical professional, your license could be on the line if you are accused of drug abuse, misconduct, fraud or neglect that affects public safety or health. Yet an accusation is not proof. You need to carefully...
Regulations for pharmacies to watch in 2020
Health care companies often find it challenging to stay ahead of the various trends across their sector. As both third-party entities and the federal government look at making changes that could impact the drug industry, there are some updates the pharmaceutical...
How pharmacy benefit managers squeeze local pharmacists
Opening and operating a pharmacy is difficult enough on its own. In recent years, however, the grip of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) is making life even harder for independent pharmacists. PBMs act as a middleman, managing prescription drug benefit programs. PBMs...
Five tips for opening a private practice
After years of working for a someone else, you may be ready to open your own pharmacy or medical/nurse practitioner practice. This is an exciting yet challenging thing to accomplish. To avoid mistakes, here are five tips for starting your private practice: Get your...
