Have you been keeping up with our HIPAA Readiness Series? We have been exploring why HIPAA is back in the news, what to do if you experience a HIPAA breach, and the fact that you, as a pharmacy owner, are responsible for your employees actions if they violate HIPAA.
Another vital aspect of HIPAA readiness concerns a Contingency or Disaster Recovery Plan. Do you know that a good Disaster Recovery Plan is essential to your pharmacy business? Let’s continue exploring the importance of HIPAA Readiness by using this REAL LIFE situation that happened to my company, which further highlighted the need for a sound recovery plan
#4 Preparing for the Deluge: Risk Analysis/Disaster Recovery Plan
It can happen to anyone, and it happened to PRS last week! On a dark, deserted Saturday night, a major water pipe on the top floor of our 19th century building burst. Motion detectors triggered the alarm, but by the time the water flow was under control, the three occupied floors were a wet mess. Some computers survived, others were a complete loss, but our server was back in business by Tuesday afternoon.
We hadn’t expected a deluge from above, but we created our Disaster Recovery Plan / Contingency Plan years ago and when the flood occurred it was implemented. We understood our operations and our needs based on the risk analysis we had performed. In the risk analysis stage, we were able to identify our critical systems and identified all of the threats and vulnerability that existed to our operations. This allowed us to ensure we had the proper policies, technical safeguards and an effective Disaster Recovery Plan / Contingency Plan to protect the important data stored on our computers. Performing a detailed, well-considered risk analysis is a requirement of HIPAA. Every covered entity is responsible for the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the electronic protected health information (ePHI) it holds. You must imagine what might endanger your ePHI and put safety measures in place.
PRS was hit with a flood; you might be hit by computer hackers. Every situation must be considered. And because new computer products continually come on the market, new employees join your staff, new malware is invented by hackers, you need to review your risks and solutions periodically. Additionally, whenever you make a change to your pharmacy such as remodeling your interior space, buying new hardware, altering your procedures or your employees’ job descriptions – think about how that might impact your risk analysis and your Disaster Recovery Plan.
It’s the law and it’s good business. A periodic review of your risk analysis is an essential insurance policy against loss, theft, or corruption of your ePHI files.All in all, a good disaster recovery plan is essential to your pharmacy business.
What is a Good Disaster Recovery Plan Essential for your Pharmacy Business? What Does It Entail?
The HIPAA rules state that every pharmacy must have a Disaster Recovery Plan or HIPAA Security Contingency plan. It’s not surprising considering that pharmacies provide essential services, especially in the wake of natural or other disasters. So keeping in mind the vital role pharmacies play during an epidemic such as the current COVID-19 outbreak or other unpredictable and challenging situations, health-wise or otherwise, they need a fool-proof Disaster Recovery Plan that helps them sustain operations in the most challenging of circumstances. Moreover, it must be compliant with HIPAA regulations, which vary from state to state, so it’d be best to stay updated with the most recent amendments for your jurisdiction.
Here are some other pointers for formulating a good Disaster Recovery Plan for pharmacy businesses:
- Drug supplies are often short during a crisis, so including a contingency strategy for replenishing medications and other life-saving supplies is an essential item to be included in your plan.
- When a disaster presents itself and people are preparing to isolate or vacate their homes and move to a safer location, they somehow tend to forget about one of the most crucial items, apart from safety of course: their medications. A good recovery plan includes a mechanism for sending an automated text or email alert to your patients to get a refill of their prescription drugs.
- Establish a list of all contingency workers who have volunteered to work in a crisis situation so your pharmacy is not short-staffed when the demand for medicines is at its peak. At best, it’s your best shot at assembling a team in the face of an unpredictable and challenging situation.
For more information about HIPAA and other pharmacy compliance solutions for your pharmacy, call PRS at 1-800-338-3688 and speak with one of the Specialists. Please visit the Blog for additional posts on compliance issues and what you need to know as a pharmacy owner.