Bloomberg Businessweek investigates the companies involved in buying and selling mass databases of people’s prescription-drug histories, and the new ways in which that information is being used by skirting privacy protections.
“Since the days of 19th century remedies such as castor oil laxatives and mercury syphilis tablets, pharmacists and patients have had a tacit understanding: Whatever you buy is confidential. No longer,” reports Bloomberg. “Drugmakers and Internet companies are quietly joining forces to link pharmacy records with registrations at websites to target ads to people reflecting their health conditions and their prescription drugs.”
The Big Business of Selling Prescription-Drug Records (Bloomberg Businessweek, December 11, 2014)
