Natalia Susłowska, Dominika Polakowska, Sara Kowalska, Magdalena Matczak, Aleksandra Chlebowska, Agnieszka Zimmermann

Examination of compliance with the patient’s right to confidentiality in community pharmacies in Poland
2019-08-31

Examination of compliance with the patient’s right to confidentiality in community pharmacies in Poland

Pharmacists belong to the group of public trust profession in which the obligation of professional secrecy is closely related. This obligation do not exist in polish legislation for technicians. In a meanwhile the patient in pharmacy uncovers intimacy secrets.

The issue of guaranteeing patient privacy when using pharmaceutical services is rarely discussed in Poland. So, this study aimed to assess the level of compliance with the patient’s right to privacy while providing pharmaceutical services in pharmacies generally available in Poland. The tool used was an anonymous survey, which was completed by 178 employees of public pharmacies, both pharmacy masters and pharmaceutical technicians.

The obtained results showed that representatives of pharmacy staff should pay more attention to the patient’s right to privacy. In addition, the conditions in Polish pharmacies need to be changed and adapted to provide patients with a greater level of intimacy during pharmaceutical consultations.

Keywords: confidentiality, privacy, patients right, community pharmacy, pharmacist.

© Farm Pol, 2019, 75(8): 411–418