title: Privacy in the pharmacy environment: analysis of observations from inside the pharmacy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the extent to which pharmacist-patient conversations are private.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  New York State, April to June 2007.
  
  
  METHODS
  No individual participants were enrolled; the study consisted of observations of the pharmacy environment and pharmacy patient-staff interactions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measurement of privacy-related distances in the pharmacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Distance between patients at the pharmacy counter and staff behind the counter, distance between patient waiting area and pharmacy counter, and distance that a pharmacy counter conversation was audible.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Observational data were recorded from 597 pharmacy staff-patient interactions in 282 pharmacies across New York State. Of the 597 interactions, 167 occurred while a second patient was within 6 ft. Of the 282 pharmacies, pharmacy staff-patient conversations were audible to observers more than 6 ft away in 229 pharmacies; 142 could be heard more than 15 ft away.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most staff-patient conversations in the pharmacy setting are not private and, as a result, have a high potential for incidental protected health information disclosures.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bednarczyk
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Nadeau
authors.forename: Christopher F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Shazia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martiniano
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lodise
authors.forename: Mario M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Zeolla
authors.forename: F Bruce
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Coles
authors.forename: Louise-Anne
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: McNutt
mesh_terms: D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D009518:New York; D018907:Privacy; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations