Ensuring the Security of Our Patients’ Data

Protecting patient and other sensitive information is essential to any health organization. AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy is no different. We take very seriously the safety and security of proprietary information, and take many steps to help ensure our patients’ data is protected. To coincide with Data Privacy Week, I wanted to share how our company uses patient data, the steps we take to protect patient data, and steps our patients can take to protect their own data. 

How We Use Data
At AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy, we collect information directly from our patients via telephonic and digital engagements, and also from prescribers through phone, fax and electronic medical record (EMR) integrations. Some of this information includes demographics, medical history, clinical assessments and billing information. 

AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy uses this data to safely manage the patient’s medication therapy. Demographics and billing information allow us to ensure timely outreach and scheduling/delivery of orders. The medical history and clinical assessments allow us to perform drug utilization reviews as well as help ensure the medication therapy is working for the patient.

How We Protect Patient Data
There are a number of measures we take to protect our patients’ data at AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy. First and foremost, all our team members undergo annual HIPAA (Health Information Portability and Accountability Act) and privacy training. 

• Hard Drive Encryption – At AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy, our data is encrypted which provides a security measure if it was somehow accessed.
• Endpoint Data Loss Prevention – Our data protection platform discovers, classifies and controls data movement across endpoints, networks, and the cloud.
• Role Base Audit – Our managers regularly review systems to ensure our team members have the appropriate access required to do their job and no more.

We also use credit card tokenization processes so actual credit card numbers not stored in our systems.

How Patients Can Protect Their Data
While AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy works hard to protect patient data, here are some steps patients can take to protect their own private information. 

• Always log out of your account, although we will automatically do so after 20 minutes.
• Create strong passwords and frequently change them (e.g., every three months is a good rule of thumb).
• Never share your information with anyone or in any forum.
• Avoid using public internet when accessing your online account. 

Our Commitment to Our Patients
At AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy, we are fully committed to protecting patient data and health information. We work closely with the Walgreens Privacy Office to help ensure we have the appropriate measures in place – including technology, training, policies/procedures – to protect patient data. It’s just one more way we put the patient first in all that we do. 

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