Posted on 03/08/2006 2:30:35 PM PST by indcons
For years, Janey Karp has battled depression and anxiety with the help of prescription drugs. Though millions of Americans do the same, Karp admits she is intensely private and can't help but feel stigmatized for needing medication to feel normal.
So when the 53-year-old Palm Beach resident read the Walgreens printout attached to her prescription last week for the sleep aid Ambien, she couldn't believe her eyes. Typed in a field reserved for patient information and dated March 17, 2005, was "CrAzY!!" In another field, dated Sept. 30, 2004, it read: "She's really a psycho!!! Do not say her name too loud, never mention her meds by names & try to talk to her when ... " The information continued onto another page but was not attached.
"I was devastated, humiliated and embarrassed," Karp said. "I honestly couldn't speak. I was trembling."
Karp filed suit Tuesday against Illinois-based Walgreen Co., accusing the nationwide retail chain of defamation, negligent supervision and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Walgreens is investigating, according to company spokeswoman Carol Hively, who said that computers are accessible to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...
..but, at the same time, her comments and actions in this situation seems to confirm the comments..
Sticks and stones ...
Absolutely. And she is a typical lib too.
Ooopsie!
I'm sure you are correct. I think Walgreen's is in trouble on this one.
She sounds like 80% of the women in Palm Beach County. Probably one of my mom's (who is a mental health counselor) clients.
An apology would be sufficient. Why should she get any money for this? Sheesh.
susie
Hollering her name and medications all over the store is bad enough, but it just got a whole lot more public with the lawsuit and this article in the paper.
I'm normally on the side agaist lawsuits, but this one is so deserved. This is horrible. If it was an inside joke that somehow got printed, they need to tighten up the ship. Of course, we all say and do things behind a person's back, but this is really humiliating to have it right in front of her in print. Wallgreen's is in deep doo-doo on this one.
Walgreens can take the position that they were trying to protect their employees from being attacked or worse by a prescipted-medicated "customer" [read:moonbat].
"your honor, its not liable. she REALLY IS CRAZY AND PSYCHO!"
As my man Bocephus sang in Mr Lincoln:
"Cause everybody sues over any little thing these days"
oh boy, are they in trouble ... not only Walgreens but the employees themselves, if they can be identified. I believe the fine for disclosing information is $10,000 per incident.
LOL! This just struck me as funny.
These were actually comments generated by the pharmacy in some capcity so they didn't break any hippa rules. She and the pharmacy workers are the only ones who saw it.
Whoever entered that information into her records should be severely disciplined, or fired. Walgreens should apologize to the lady, and that's that.
How can disclosure of patient info to the patient be a violation under HIPAA?
Now if they gave her info to ME or you.
But as the patient, she is entitled to those records.
It boils down to this: She is offended that someone else thinks this of her and now she wants them to pay.
(It is unprofessional, but not a HIPAA violation)
"I'm thinking they're thinking here comes psycho, that they're laughing at me as I come in the store'
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.