HIPAA Notice
THIS NOTICE EXPLAINS HOW YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND SHARED, AND HOW YOU CAN ACCESS IT. PLEASE READ IT THOROUGHLY.
When this Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notice”) mentions “we” or “us,” it means Longevity Meds and all the pharmacists who deliver health care services along with our pharmacy's employees. By law, we must protect the privacy of your protected health information (“PHI”), adhere to the current Notice's terms, provide you this Notice outlining our legal responsibilities and privacy practices for your PHI, and inform affected people after any breach of unsecured PHI. This Notice details our possible uses and disclosures of your PHI. It also outlines your rights regarding your PHI and specific obligations we follow under the law. We may update this Notice at any time. For significant changes, we will display the updated Notice in the pharmacy, on our website, and provide you a copy upon request.
I. USE AND DISCLOSURE OF YOUR PHI
We will use and share your PHI for purposes like treatment, payment, and health care operations. We might also use your PHI for other legally allowed or required reasons, or with your written permission. Below are examples of how we may use and/or disclose your PHI. Any uses not listed here require your explicit written authorization, which you can withdraw anytime by notifying us in writing.
A. Treatment – We may use and share your PHI to deliver prescription and supply services to you. We might disclose your PHI to other pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and health care providers involved in your treatment. You will get separate notice and a chance to opt out of any subsidized treatment-related communications.
B. Payment – We will use and disclose your PHI to bill and receive payment for the services we provide. This may involve sharing your PHI to get pre-approval from your health plan or confirm coverage for a prescription or service.
C. Health Care Operations – We may use and disclose your PHI for managing our pharmacy operations, such as quality reviews and improvements, compliance audits, and staff performance assessments. We might also use your PHI for general business management and administrative purposes.
D. Prescription Refill Reminders, Treatment Alternatives or Health-Related Benefits – We may use and disclose your PHI to reach out about refill reminders, inform you of alternative treatments, or share details on health-related benefits or services that could interest you.
E. Family Members, Relatives or Close Friends – Unless you object, we may share your PHI—with limits to what's relevant—with family members, relatives, close friends, or others you identify as involved in your care or payment. If you're not available to agree or object, we may use professional judgment to decide if disclosure serves your best interest, sharing only pertinent PHI.
F. Other Permitted and Required Uses and Disclosures – We may use your PHI without your authorization or chance to agree/object in these cases:
- When required by law, always following applicable regulations;
- With public health authorities (or collaborating foreign agencies) for activities like disease prevention/control, reporting deaths, medication adverse events or product issues, communicable diseases, or abuse/neglect in certain cases;
- To health oversight agencies for authorized activities like audits, inspections, or investigations;
- For judicial/administrative proceedings (e.g., subpoena or court order), but only after attempting to notify you or secure a protective order;
- To law enforcement for reporting injuries, complying with orders/warrants, identifying suspects/fugitives/missing persons/victims, or reporting crimes;
- To coroners/medical examiners for authorized duties like identifying the deceased or determining cause of death;
- To funeral directors as needed and consistent with law;
- To organ procurement organizations for donation/transplantation facilitation;
- For approved research with proper protections;
- To prevent or reduce a serious threat to health/safety, limited to those able to help;
- For military/veterans activities (including foreign military) to support missions or benefits eligibility;
- For lawful national security/intelligence activities;
- For protecting the President, foreign heads of state, or authorized investigations;
- To correctional institutions or law enforcement custodians if you're incarcerated;
- As needed to comply with workers’ compensation or work-related injury laws.
II. YOUR RIGHTS AS OUR PATIENT
You have several rights concerning your PHI as our patient. Here's what they include:
A. You can request restrictions on our use/disclosure of your PHI, though we aren't required to agree (except for fully self-paid transactions). Submit written requests detailing: (1) the desired restriction; (2) the information affected; and (3) who it applies to (e.g., a spouse). If agreed, it won't block disclosures: (1) for your access/accounting requests; (2) as legally required/permitted; or (3) in emergencies.
B. You can request confidential PHI communications through alternate methods or locations (e.g., sending prescription info to a different address). Submit written requests to the Privacy Officer specifying your preferences. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
C. You can access, inspect, and copy your PHI (including electronic), except for certain HIPAA-exempted items. We'll provide requested formats for electronic PHI if maintained that way. If not in our possession, we'll direct you appropriately. Copies may involve reasonable cost-based fees for copying/postage, with timely responses. Limited denials allow review requests; ultimate denials include written explanations.
D. You can request an accounting of our PHI disclosures (including by business associates) for up to six years prior (or shorter if specified). One free annual request; subsequent ones in the same 12 months may incur reasonable fees (with prior notice and option to withdraw/modify).
E. If you think your PHI is inaccurate or incomplete, submit a written amendment request with supporting reasons. We may deny if, e.g., not created by us or already accurate. Denials allow your written disagreement statement; we may rebut, and relevant documents can be included in future disclosures.
F. You can request a paper copy of this Notice anytime, even if received electronically—submit written requests to the Privacy Officer.
G. You can opt out of fundraising; we won't use your PHI for fundraising or sell it without your prior authorization.
III. Additional Information/Questions or Complaints
A. For more details on this Notice, to exercise your rights, or with questions, contact the Privacy Officer at:
Longevity Meds 378 Grand Ave Pawtucket, RI 02861 [email protected] (or appropriate contact if different)
If you believe your privacy rights were violated, file a complaint (no retaliation) with our Privacy Officer or the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW.