Can you search anyone in the controlled substance monitoring database?

[Nveez]

I was wondering who you can search in the controlled substance monitoring database? Could you search coworkers and see what they are prescribed?

[umbdude, MSN, APRN]

Highly unethical and a HIPAA violation.

[Nveez]

11 minutes ago, umbdude said:

Highly unethical and a HIPAA violation.

So if an NP were to look up a coworker that would be illegal and not allowed?

[umbdude, MSN, APRN]

3 minutes ago, Nveez said:

So if an NP were to look up a coworker that would be illegal and not allowed?

I don't know about legality, but certainly should never view someone's medical record without consent unless you're caring for that person as a provider. Again, most likely HIPAA violation.

[Nveez]

With the DEA license don’t they have access to the CSMD where they can search people? 

[umbdude, MSN, APRN]

2 minutes ago, Nveez said:

With the DEA license don’t they have access to the CSMD where they can search people? 

Having access doesn't mean you have permission to search anyone you want. You need consent permission to view an individual's private medical record. 

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I'm in Illinois and I only look up what I need to look up - I would never look up anyone unless I had the need to know. Here is what it says:

"Who can access the data contained in the PMP?

Licensed prescribers and dispensers of controlled substances can view the PMP data for current and prospective patients only. Law enforcement officers are allowed indirect access to prescription data during an active investigation."

Illinois PMP FAQs (ilpmp.org)

[Guest1144461]

On 6/11/2022 at 9:51 PM, Nveez said:

With the DEA license don’t they have access to the CSMD where they can search people? 

Bizarre question. Sure, I can look up my own record and I can also even prescribe to myself. Should I? No...

Once again weird question with 0 context from a new user.

Sus

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

To the poster (whom I don’t think even works in medicine or nursing): In any situation of accessing someone’s medical info, there’s a standard of whether you need to know. I’m a school nurse, so I have access to the records of every child in the district. So, “can I” look up a neighbor’s child because I’m curious about them?  If you mean do I have the access, yes. But the district’s IT department can see every keystroke on our computers. If there was ever, say, a lawsuit about that family, or a bitter divorce that resulted in records being subpoenaed, the district would ask me WHY I was in the record. If I didn’t have a good reason, it would be a breach of my contract. 

[CNAinquire]

The controlled substance database may not be used for less than honorable purposes. Licensed professionals can use it like Wikipedia for protected health information. The bosses of criminal organizations are ostensibly using federated health information exchanges to find people in witness protection. There seems to be no opt-out option.

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

On 6/11/2022 at 10:44 PM, Nveez said:

So if an NP were to look up a coworker that would be illegal and not allowed?

Cause for immediate firing.  It is most definitely a HIPAA violation.

[Closed Account 12345]

You're clearly not the NP in this scenario.  If a nurse practitioner co-worker has accessed your protected health information without consent or clinical cause within a provider-patient relationship, it should be reported to HR immediately. It is an egregious HIPAA violation, and the civil penalties for intentional HIPAA violations are significantly more costly to an organization than true accidents. 

I'm hoping this is just a hypothetical nursing school question about patient privacy since every licensed NP should understand how inappropriate this action is.