More on the VT “PharmaCops” story
Well, this story about the VT State Police going into pharmacy records that I let you know about is starting to get some legs. The AP is working on it now. This is a big story folks.
A few more updates for you . Juliewolf has an excellent diary over at Kos on it right now, “Kiss your 4th amendment goodbye: VT State Police collect medical data”… have a read and give it some rec’s so it stays on the front page longer. Also, more at GMD about this story in regards to the confusion as to whether or not pharmacists need to comply with this…Police Pharmacy Data Collection: Must Pharmacists Cooperate? Depends on Who You Ask…
Another great read – Maia Szalavitz over at HuffPo, with Cops Become Drugstore Cowboys in Vermont; 4th Amendment Officially Dead:
Just contemplate for a moment how much information your complete prescription records give to the police. From this data, the cops can tell if you suffer depression, HIV, anxiety, herpes, impotence, cancer and many other disorders many people prefer not to broadcast. If there is any information that should be protected from warrantless fishing expeditions, it’s gotta be your pharmacy records. If the supposed health care privacy act HIPAA is anything more than a paperwork tree-killing bonanza, it must prohibit this ridiculous type of data mining. But Vermont pharmacists are being told that it doesn’t.
Even politicians have gotta wonder: do I really want the state looking at my Viagra script?
It’s funny, with all of the constant accusations from the right about the Dems being the “nanny’ party, they seem to forget the very prescient fact that the Republicans are undoubtedly the “Big Brother” party. What’s worse? As more develops on this story, I’ll put it here and of course, keep checking GMD.
