Do You Want Google To Have Access to Your Prescription Records?

Do You Want Google To Have Access to Your Prescription Records?

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Google just got access to millions of prescription records, and most likely, so did you.

Google announced today that CVS/pharmacy, one of the largest pharmacy chains in the U.S., has partnered with Google Health to provide patients online access to their prescription drug history through Google Health accounts. This is in addition to Walgreens Pharmacy, Meijer, Medco, and other national pharmacies.

If you purchased prescription drugs from any of these chains, Google can access that information in its never ending goal to organize the world’s information and make it accessible and useful. But is Google having access to private prescription drug information a step too far?

(visit the link for the full news article)

edit for added links.
finance.yahoo.com...

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., April 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- While the government strives to deliver electronic health records for all Americans by 2014 - Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MHS - News) and Google Health(TM) are working on that promise today. The companies' collaboration enables Medco's more than 60 million members to construct their own online personal health record (PHR), effectively creating a secure and private place for their health information to be stored.

[edit on 7-4-2009 by atlasastro]


[edit: title to same as source]
Headline: Please use the original story headline from your source.

[edit on 7-4-2009 by 12m8keall2c]

Don't know if this has been posted, did a quick search but did not get a hit so!
I don't know guys. Is this a bit to much. I know we all want effiecient and fast access and improved and intergrated health services also with access to information but this can be abused in a vast number of ways IMHO.

I know with Google Health you have to give them specific permission to exchange information, like from financial institute to financial institute, but how often do we see people getting their personal information and accounts abused or ripped off on line!
How will perscription ststs be used, and by who.
Can this lead, or is there the potential for the monitoring of those who take certain perscription, say for mental health conditions?
Will adverts be linked to account users to focus on one type of medication etc.

bigtweet.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

However unacceptable this may be, it is an inevitability.

This is only the beginning.

Welcome to the future and the nightmare that is likely to represent.

Wait a second.... "Google Health"?

You are kidding me right?

What's next? Google Defence? Google Budget? Google Education? Google Law? Google Government?

Is it just me, or is Google hell bent on some crazed monopolisation policy of every single industry they can penetrate?

Stick to the Internet Google, leave the REAL world up to REAL people to manage.

[edit on 7/4/09 by The Godfather of Conspira]

Google is generally worrying but this is genuinely worrying. Just how much involvement does Google want in people's lives?

Whilst it's no consolation to Americans who might fall foul of this, given the completely different approach to health care in England - and more so for Wales and soon for Scotland and N. Ireland - I can't see this becoming an issue here.

reply to post by loam


I think its worrying, I understand the benefits, especislly from a govn. planning and resource management system that could benefit from an intergrated system that shows user statistics based on needs and resources, but there are too many ways that this can be abused aswell!
Especially where private enterprise lobbies governments to effect the where, why, who and how as to where they get their services from and who gets them!

It's a catch 22. I for one would like to be able to conveniently buy my medications from CVS / Walgreens online, or just click on a tab that says refill. At the same time I know that there is so much personal information on the internet getting abused. I think it's the price you pay for using the net. If you don't want them to have your information either A) don't put your personal info online, or B) don't use the internet period.

reply to post by Merriman Weir


Where Govt provides a national health system, I don't see a problem, because they intergrate these systems purely to make it efficient, economical and user friendly. But when you get private enterprise involved, to make the means for these systems, it is worrying. The fact that this is a US admin goal, but google and a few other are leading the charge indicates to me that the system will undoubtably be driven by the industries corporate elite, and any vision of universal health care etc, or a fully intergrated system geared to end users will only do so to the Corporate Elites ends.

No I don't want Google to have access to my Prescription records.
It in no way benefits me personally, so no.

Google won't get access to my information because I will go to a chemist/Doctor
who isn't part of this.

There will always be CHOICE.

Not everyone cares about their privacy and what information is accessible by all but there are still some of us who care about it enough to go out of our way to avoid the abuse of it.



[edit on 7-4-2009 by Flighty]

reply to post by ManicKat


It seems to me as far as the CVS info goes, it has nothing to do with people putting their info on line. It is CVS putting it on line. I can appreciate all the CVS pharmacies being connected to ensure patients consistant care but not connected with the planet and every other pharmacy. Google needs to step back in its control.

Despite the confidentiality laws I am afraid this will get out of hand. Potential or current jobs etc on the line because someone can just look up your meds and base an opinion on it.

Chills....

Originally posted by Flighty
No I don't want Google to have access to my Prescription records.
It in no way benefits me personally, so no.

Google won't get access to my information because I will go to a chemist/Doctor
who isn't part of this.

There will always be CHOICE.

You raise a great point, and this has me thinking. What if your Chemist, GP, Health Insurance, Health Care Provider requests that you use this service. I mean we see this kind of thing with specific Medications etc being perscribed by Doctors due to Pharmaceutical Corporations providing incentives etc.
I found this and it got me wondering.

Retail pharmacies "are waging what some consider a generic-drug price war that is threatening margins in a typically high-profit area and reflects the intense competition that drug store chains face in attracting and keeping customers," the Wall Street Journal reports. According to the Journal, generic drug programs have "proliferated" since Wal-Mart in 2006 began selling a month's supply of many generic prescriptions for $4. Now, large pharmacy chains such as Walgreen, CVS Caremark and Rite Aid have begun to "aggressively promote their discount drug programs ... as the economy declined and competition increased," the Journal reports. According to the Journal, "These moves are among the latest in a market battle that has helped lead to lower prices and greater use of generic drugs."

www.medicalnewstoday.com...
What if these groups, who are connected to Google Health, centralise thee systems, promote certain drugs to users based on their records. Add to this the Idea that it could be possible to lobby medical practitioners to encourage the use of the system and we have one hell of a way to control brand perscription sales, monopolisation of chemists via these big brand groups like CVS who would have doctors promoting the use of Google Health the same way they have been shown to do with brands of drugs.

Not everyone cares about their privacy and what information is accessible by all but there are still some of us who care about it enough to go out of our way to avoid the abuse of it.

That is right. We have to care. We must.





[edit on 7-4-2009 by atlasastro]

Originally posted by atlasastro
reply to post by Merriman Weir

 

Where Govt provides a national health system, I don't see a problem, because they intergrate these systems purely to make it efficient, economical and user friendly.

You'd think that was the case. See below.

But when you get private enterprise involved, to make the means for these systems, it is worrying.

It might be worth you checking out Private Finance Initiatives and their involvement in large IT projects and the National Health Service over here. There's an incredible amount of "private enterprise involved".

I think the thing that differentiates us and America and where Google are unlikely to gain anything from this scheme in Britain is due to the fact that whatever the level of PFI involvement, the way we pay for prescribed medication is fairly different than on the other side of the Atlantic and that Google has very little to gain from advertising.

The only way I can see Google wanting to extend this to here is if they actually placed themselves as rivals to Capitas and the other IT-related firms involved in PFI scams.

Also, I'm not sure that this Google scheme would be feasible with regard to the current Data Protect Acts. Given the current feelings towards some of Labour's front bench at the moment, I can't see them expanding on this to allow another 'database' at a time when the public are already angry and suspicious in general.

FFS, isn't there anything that F**king Google won't leave alone?.

They are really P**sing me off now.

What with Google maps photographing peoples homes and now this ?

Whats next? Google Bog? , so the boss can check up on what kind of turd your dropping off at the toilet and how long you've been there?

Originally posted by Merriman Weir


You'd think that was the case. See below.

Yeah, I hear ya! What I was refering to though, was the "Ideal" of a system like the NHS or the Australian system of Medicare.

It might be worth you checking out Private Finance Initiatives and their involvement in large IT projects and the National Health Service over here. There's an incredible amount of "private enterprise involved".

As I understand it, Private enterprise is heavily involved, or was, in the information technolgy that was needed to reform and improve systems. What I find different with the US is, that I would hope, that they were "enablers" that had the expertise to help improve data collection to be used purely by the NHS. This is very different to the US, and you point out quite nicely why Google would have no way to benefit via advertising in the UK as the NHS is not influenced by its information gathering technology.

The only way I can see Google wanting to extend this to here is if they actually placed themselves as rivals to Capitas and the other IT-related firms involved in PFI scams.

Yes, and they would need private health providers to back them as enterprise partners.

Also, I'm not sure that this Google scheme would be feasible with regard to the current Data Protect Acts. Given the current feelings towards some of Labour's front bench at the moment, I can't see them expanding on this to allow another 'database' at a time when the public are already angry and suspicious in general.

Good. Great Post. Thanks.

[edit on 7-4-2009 by atlasastro]

Reply to atlasastro

What if your Chemist, GP, Health Insurance, Health Care Provider requests that you use this service.

Well so long as it's requested, as a request can be declined.

As another poster suggested, we'll probably get bombarded with advertisements based on what they know about what meds we take.

I just think that Google is getting way out line and taking things too far.
The schemes to get more advertisement dollars are becoming too intrusive.

I wouldn't tell my own friends what medication I take (I'm not any but if I was) let alone have Google and everyone else have that kind of info about me.






[edit on 7-4-2009 by Flighty]

[edit on 7-4-2009 by Flighty]

reply to post by Flighty


How many patients do you know that ignore a request from a GP.
I just feel its a dangerous potential.
Those of us not fully informed or confident enough to question such requests or suggestions could be open to exploitation.