AIBU to strongly suspect my pharmacist of selling my highly personal medication details to other companies

[Chowtime]

I am on regular medication that I receive in the post by PillTime which is automatically delivered every 4 weeks.

I received this email today from a company I've never heard of

I tried to call you today to discuss your current issue with reflux.
I see that you have re-started esomeprazole, can I ask what dose and how frequently?

I would suggest you take 20mg twice a day, morning and evening.

If you would like to discuss this further with me please dont hesitate to call 0121 693 4488 and request a nurse call. Alternatively you can reply to this email.

Best Wishes,

Lyndsay Westall
Bariatric Nurse Specialist
Tel: 0121 752 5632

Healthier Weight
The UK's Weight Loss Specialists
11/12 Highfield Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3EB
T: 0121 693 4488

How can she possibly have access to this information other than from the pharmacy? Isn't this a breach of GDPR and if so, who can I report it to.

Could you have ticked some data sharing agreement during the sign up process that you are unaware of?

Assuming the medication info is correct I would call the number and ask how they got your details. Be wary not to give out any personal info they don't already have in case it's a phishing scam (although the company appears to exist it could still be a scam email).

If the pharmacy have breached GDPR I would contact the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) who are the regulators of both pharmacists and pharmacy businesses.

Could your GP have outsourced part of their service.
I got a similar message about something I thought my GP covered it turned out they had outsourced this to a private contractor.

It sounds like you’ve answered a survey somewhere along the way and they’ve used that information. Possibly online?

Although I have heard that healthcare is the sector with the most GDPR breaches, so maybe. Sounds a bit paranoid though.

Well the information is kind of correct - I'm on omeprazole but I've been on it for years, i haven't just restarted it.

And just because i'm paranoid it doesn't mean they're not out to get me 😉

But I don't live anywhere near Birmingham so why would my GP outsource something to Brum? And I'm not overweight either so why the bariatric nurse?

I am in Berkshire the service that called me was up north somewhere. Worth asking your GPs surgery.

Could be some sort of scam if you aren't actually on esomprazole

Bloody Hell that's terrible. I'd be furious. You need to make the nursing regulator NMC and pharmacy regulator, the GPHC know.

Nursing code of conduct here. www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/nmc-publications/nmc-code.pdf

Perhaps ask MN to remove the nurses name and phone number from your post.

Maybe it's been sent by mistake

If the message is about re-starting a common medication, but you’ve not restarted it, then I think it’s just marketing guess work. I’d be tempted to ignore it.

If they sent that email to 10,000 people, some of them will be on that medication.

It’s a scam.

Why would the NMC need to be involved? Presumably the nurse hasn't stolen the op's medical records or pharmacy records?! It's hardly the nurse's fault 😳

Years ago when I moved house and registered with the local GP they got my title wrong- think Ms instead of Mrs etc. It’s the only time this has happened to me.
A short while later I started to receive those forms you used to get in the post for credit card applications and they all had Ms as my title. It could only have come from my GP but they denied all knowledge, but I guess their database may have been hacked…

Because the duty of confidentiality means that clinical records should not have been shared with her without the OPs consent and nor should the nurse have contacted the OP.

Registered nurses are not allowed to use their qualifications in this way for financial gain.

Why?

I am furious @Dinopawus . Definately going to report it tomorrow.

Also, they specifically said esomeprazole - which is odd - I assumed they meant omeprazole, which I do take.

I'm a nurse. This looks like a scam as no nurse I know would give prescription advice via email.

Yes, I thought that too. What nurse would do that? She probably doesn't even exist.

sounds like a scam tbh... I would delete and blog. no actual clinical practitioner would ever contact you like this. just sending this email is in direct contravention of national confidentiality guidelines. if she is a real nurse, she could be struck off. probably they know you are a lady, and just send such emails with common medications with the hope of catching someone out

Also - they lied about trying to contact me. I would have had a missed call if they had but i've noticed a lot of companies have been doing this recently. Pretending they've rung you when they really just want you to ring them.

Yes I know that, but if it's not a scam, then presumably the nurse, if she exists, works for a company that has bought the information legitimately.

Well, a quick google turns up someone by that name and profession, so...

I work in the sector and also agree it looks like a phishing scam.
If the pharmacy had shared your information withe the company as you suggest. They wouldn't be asking the strength or the dosage on the email as the way the data is normally stored would have that information present. Eg the pharmacy would not just have Esomeprazole. It would be Esomeprazole 20mg gastro-resistant capsules. Or whatever the medication was. Then dosage information.

But yes more likely to be a scam and coincidence that the op is on a similar medication. Pharmaceutical phishing 🤔