Calgary pharmacist suspended for unauthorized access of personal health information
Posted Sep 19, 2024 11:23 am.
A Calgary pharmacist has been suspended for unprofessional conduct by the profession’s regulatory body.
The Alberta College of Pharmacy says Sin Young (Jenny) Park, was found to have accessed personal health information without any authorized purpose.
The organization says it happened on one occasion, when Park accessed Provincial Electronic Health Records (Netcare) while working with Alberta Health Services (AHS). The person wasn’t a patient of Park and didn’t have a personal relationship with her.
A Hearing Tribunal found that the pharmacist misused her authority and although there was no information to suggest Park disclosed the health information of the person, her conduct was deemed unprofessional and worthy of sanctions.
Despite no previous history of unprofessional conduct by Park, the lack of disclosure, and her admitting to her actions, the tribunal ordered a strict punishment.
Park was given a reprimand, an order to successfully complete an ethics course at her own cost within one year, and an order to pay 25 per cent of the costs of the investigation and hearing totaling approximately $5,900.
She was also handed a three-month suspension, with the first month to be served from Dec. 12, 2024 to Jan. 11, 2025. The other two months wil be suspended if there are no further privacy concerns for two years.
Park must also disclose the decision of the tribunal to any pharmacy employer or licensee for the next two years.
In a statement, the Alberta College of Pharmacy says Park’s actions undermined the profession’s integrity, decreased the public’s trust, and demonstrated a lack of judgement because regulated members are granted the privilege of accessing health information for specific and authorized purposes related to medical services.
