Administrative Ethics Paper: Medical Marijuana
Administrative Ethics Paper
Pamella Thomas
HCS/335
September 23, 2012
Katherine Rossiter
Administrative Ethics Paper A current administrative issue relating to topics such as patient privacy, confidentiality, or HIPAA is as follow. A specific issue that was in the news is the privacy rights as applied to the patients who use medical marijuana. This issue involves the information that medical marijuana is permissible in some states according to those state laws. This means that thousands of patients will be allowed to access marijuana for medical purpose as long as it is recommended by their physicians. With this issue in effect I believe that thousands of these people will have their independence and privacy in jeopardy because if state law permits the use of marijuana and federal law does not permit it, the patients will be committing crimes according to federal law and this can be an definitely jeopardize a patients freedom. All activities at medical marijuana dispensaries are often surveillance and this puts patient’s confidentiality in danger. An additional issue that I’m concerned about due to the medical marijuana is the way in which the law is written in reference to the medical marijuana. Each state has its own laws concerning medical marijuana and there is a discrepancy with privacy issues to the way that the laws are transcribed and the possible risk that patients are accommodating regarding their privacy rights. An instance where medical marijuana laws are not clarified is the new amendments to those laws which place restrictions and terms that result in patient privacy being exposed. Patient privacy should be enforced at all times according to the HIPAA laws and should be upheld unless the patient provides consent in releasing their medical information. In January of 2011, the Department of Revenue Licensing Authority in Colorado held an unrestricted hearing to acquire the public viewpoint about the current and proposed amendments
Pamella Thomas
HCS/335
September 23, 2012
Katherine Rossiter
Administrative Ethics Paper A current administrative issue relating to topics such as patient privacy, confidentiality, or HIPAA is as follow. A specific issue that was in the news is the privacy rights as applied to the patients who use medical marijuana. This issue involves the information that medical marijuana is permissible in some states according to those state laws. This means that thousands of patients will be allowed to access marijuana for medical purpose as long as it is recommended by their physicians. With this issue in effect I believe that thousands of these people will have their independence and privacy in jeopardy because if state law permits the use of marijuana and federal law does not permit it, the patients will be committing crimes according to federal law and this can be an definitely jeopardize a patients freedom. All activities at medical marijuana dispensaries are often surveillance and this puts patient’s confidentiality in danger. An additional issue that I’m concerned about due to the medical marijuana is the way in which the law is written in reference to the medical marijuana. Each state has its own laws concerning medical marijuana and there is a discrepancy with privacy issues to the way that the laws are transcribed and the possible risk that patients are accommodating regarding their privacy rights. An instance where medical marijuana laws are not clarified is the new amendments to those laws which place restrictions and terms that result in patient privacy being exposed. Patient privacy should be enforced at all times according to the HIPAA laws and should be upheld unless the patient provides consent in releasing their medical information. In January of 2011, the Department of Revenue Licensing Authority in Colorado held an unrestricted hearing to acquire the public viewpoint about the current and proposed amendments
References: Americans for safe access Retrieved from http://www. Safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=6258 retrieved on September 23, 2012 Freedom is green. Retrieved from http://freedomisgreen.com/privacy-improvements-for medical-marijuana-patients-in-Maine/ retrieved on September 23, 2012 The Huffington post Retrieved from http://huffingtonpost.com/steph-sherer/patient-privacy-should-be_b_814793.html