I have been a loyal customer of America's Best (AB) for years. Throughout those years, I've spent…read morethousands of dollars on exams, eyeglasses, and contacts. Just recently, I logged into my AB account to obtain my prescription in my patient portal; however, the current prescription had not been updated since my last exam. In needing new contacts, I reached out to my store requesting that my patient portal be updated with my most recent prescription. I was informed that the store does not update the portal and was instead given an 800 number to call for my request. I called the number several separate times and spoke to several customer service reps who all spouted the same story. They too do not update the patient portal. Hmmm...and I guess the elves responsible for it have been far too busy helping the shoemaker, huh?
I was informed that the only way the portal could be updated is by placing an online order through AB. Then and only then would my prescription be updated. I kindly let the rep know that I do not wish to purchase contacts through AB but through another site; however, I'll need a valid, unexpired prescription in order to do so. The response I received was to call my store back and request that my portal be updated. I guess I could go back and forth between calling my store and the 800 number, but I have better things to do...such as watching grass grow.
I find it hard to phantom that NO ONE at AB can update a patient portal. Not only is that request inconceivable, but I was further told that they cannot email me my prescription due to HIPAA laws. I could, however, obtain my prescription via fax.
First of all, the speal about violating HIPAA laws is a bold-faced lie:
Sending PHI via unencrypted email does not violate HIPAA, but businesses must take reasonable steps to ensure patients understand and acknowledge the risk of unsecured email transmission. The OCR provided this guidance because they want patients to be able to easily receive their PHI in accordance with their "right to access" their PHI. This means if a patient requests their records be delivered via unencrypted email, the business must comply with the request, but only after assurance from the patient that they understand the risk of unsecured email. Denying a patient their access request be sent via unsecured email could mean an OCR complaint.
Further, what year are we living in? Who still actually has access to a fax machine? Perhaps at the office? It makes absolute perfect sense to me that my prescription can be faxed to a fax machine that all of my colleagues have access to; however, emailing it to my personal, private email account is out of the question (eye roll). Hey - I have no qualms about someone hacking into my email to obtain my prescription. Other than the actual prescription details, it contains my name and DOB. That's it. If it's helpful for a hacker to know that the OS of my right eye is -1.50, more power to them (pun intended).
Moreover, no one would have to send my prescription at all in any manner if only my patient portal was up-to-date. SOMEONE IS NOT DOING THEIR JOB... PERIOD! I have spent copious amounts of time and a ridiculous amount of effort to simply obtain MY OWN PRESCRIPTION. So, the doctors and employees of AB have access to my prescription, but I don't? Oh right, I can come into the store and pick it up. Other than a fax, that's my only other option. Let me take off of work to drive all the way over there to obtain a paper prescription that I'll need to take a pic of so I can upload it electronically. Fax machines and paper? Again, what year is this?
Figure it out America's Best. In the meantime, I will no longer be a loyal client and will be taking my business, blindness, and money elsewhere. For now, I guess I'll just drive around with my poor eyesight having no contacts. That's SO much safer than violating imaginary HIPAA laws, right? Fair warning to those of you out on the road in NOLA - It's not my fault. Blame America's Best.
