Drug Store Data Dilemma - Patient Privacy Compromised by Lax IT Security

Assumed Confidentiality 
The confidentiality of consumers health records is as sensitive as their financial records. People expect the financial institutions they deal with to provide maximum IT security, to protect their financial records, and in the main they do. They also expect healthcare institutions to provide them with the same degree of protection, and in the main they also do. But what happens when you take medical records out of this secure environment and deposit them at the local Pharmacy? 

Low Spec meets High Tech 
Many independent Pharmacies are little more than a mom and pop store. Technology is often no more advanced than a till and a computer for data records of patients. The more advanced the operation, the more likely they may even have a network closet housing their IT. But isn’t it a risk to have patient confidential files on the same network that any unauthorised check-out operator can access? 

Separation Anxiety 
In the above scenario, with basic IT know-how, it is not difficult to hack the network to pull data. The dilemma for the Pharmacist is they need access to confidential patient records and the store network without compromising the former. 

Separate Networks with Military Grade Technology 
This scenario mirrors that of military and intelligence agencies providing access to both classified and unclassified networks. The solution is a secure switch to separate the networks; a switch that guarantees that there can be no contamination from one network to another. So if the patient data is kept on a server separate from the main network and not connected to the internet, security from any hacking or inadvertent data breach is guaranteed. 

Large Fines 
There are large fines and business reputational issues around breaching patient privacy. Pharmacies can mitigate these risks and potentially reduce their professional indemnity insurance premium by investing in this low cost, simple to deploy and effective IT solution.