Question

You verify the patient's name and date of birth when she comes to pick her prescription. By verifying this information, you are protecting patient privacy and you are in compliance with HIPAA.

a) True
b) False

Answer 1

The verification of a patient's name and date of birth when distributing prescriptions is a true practice to comply with HIPAA, ensuring the protection of patient privacy.

Step-by-step explanation:

Verifying a patient's name and date of birth when picking up a prescription is a practice aimed at protecting patient privacy and ensures compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA, passed into law in 1996, mandates the safeguarding of personal health information and outlines the requirements for confidentiality when handling patient records. Through verification, healthcare providers ensure that they are giving out information and prescriptions to the correct individual, thereby preventing unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information.

Given these points, the statement that by verifying a patient's name and date of birth, you are protecting patient privacy and are in compliance with HIPAA, is true. HIPAA's privacy rules are designed to minimize risks to individual privacy and require methods that confirm the identity of patients without compromising their protected health information.