Pharmacies Illegally Share Medical Records with Police, Investigation Reveals
Congressional Democrats have revealed that major pharmacy chains in the US, including CVS Health, Walgreens Boots Alliance, and Walmart, provide patients' prescription records to law enforcement without requiring a warrant. Concerns have been raised by pro-choice advocates that law enforcement from states where abortion is criminalized may request pharmacy records to confirm whether a woman is prescribed certain medications, such as the abortion pill. Lawmakers are urging the Department of Health and Human Services to tighten regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to end the warrantless release of medical records by pharmacies.