1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

The state of Florida's request for individual patient records and medication histories from pharmacies raises serious privacy and security concerns. This appears to violate HIPAA laws that protect the confidentiality of personal health information. Compelling pharmacists to disclose such sensitive data without patient consent is an unacceptable breach of trust and legal boundaries. Moreover, amassing large volumes of private medical data creates an enticing target for cyber criminals and increases the risk of personal information being exposed in a data breach. Rather than infringing on constitutionally-protected privacy rights, the state should explore alternative approaches that balance public interests with individual civil liberties. I urge you to reconsider this misguided policy and uphold robust protections for Floridians' personal health data.