was seen by Dr. Jack Abramson, O.D. at this location. The eye exam itself was professionally conducted. However, I was repeatedly refused an electronic copy of my prescription by the front desk staff—both via email and patient portal—despite my clear request. I was told the prescription could only be printed and picked up in person and that “HIPAA doesn’t allow emailing it.” This is incorrect. Under federal HIPAA rules (45 CFR § 164.524), patients have the right to access their protected health information, including prescriptions, and may request electronic copies in the format the patient chooses, so long as the provider can produce it that way (e.g., emailed PDF or patient portal). Providers cannot categorically refuse electronic delivery based solely on an incorrect interpretation of HIPAA. I encourage this office to review HIPAA patient access rights and update their process so that patients can receive their records in the format they request. This would greatly improve the patient experience.
