The retail chain reported the data breach to HHS on July 27 as affecting 9,200 individuals. A number of Rite Aid pharmacies experienced theft, including stolen prescription orders waiting for patient pickup and hard-copy prescription records that contained customer information, according to a company statement emailed to Becker’s Hospital Review.
The prescription orders and records stolen may have listed information including customer names, dates of birth, phone numbers, addresses and medication information. After reporting the incidents to law enforcement and conducting an investigation, Rite Aid said they believe a small percentage of customers were affected by the breach and that they have no evidence any information exposed has been misused as a result of the incident.
“We take our obligation to safeguard personal information very seriously and are notifying affected customers about this issue so they can take steps to help protect themselves,” the company’s statement reads.
Rite Aid joined a list of other pharmacy chains reporting recent data breaches due to theft and vandalism. In July, Walmart reported stolen medications and materials, which included patient information, as the result of “widespread civil unrest,” and CVS reported vandalism at stores between May 27 and June 8 that potentially exposed 21,289 individuals’ information.
More articles on cybersecurity:
Researcher discovers healthcare info of 3.1M patients online
Former Talkspace employees claim mobile therapy company mines transcripts for marketing purposes
HIPAA-compliance postcards a scam, Office for Civil Rights warns
Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit
