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Published at www.cmaj.ca on Dec. 21, 2005.
After a meeting with Ontario Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian, Ontario's pharmacists have issued new guidelines and will no longer routinely collect women's names, addresses and sensitive personal information before dispensing an emergency contraceptive.
Privacy commissioners in British Columbia and in Saskatchewan have also expressed concern to pharmacy colleges in their provinces about a screening form and the collection and storage of sensitive personal information, a practice the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) had been recommending after levonorgestrel (Plan B) became available without a prescription in April 2005.
The Ontario College of Pharmacists released its new guidelines Dec. 15, 9 days after CMAJ posted a news article about the screening form and the concerns of several privacy commissioners.
The Women's Health Network and individual women that CMAJ interviewed have said they are worried that the collection of women's names, addresses and sensitive personal information will deter some women from accessing the drug.
Pharmacists do not routinely collect personally identifiable information when providing other Schedule II drugs, Cavoukian said.
The new Ontario guidelines state that "Pharmacists should continue to seek...