PLANS to allow medicinal cannabis prescribers to view patients’ confidential GP records have not involved the Island’s data protection watchdog, it has emerged.
Health Minister Tom Binet revealed earlier this month that arrangements had been made to enable all professionals who are prescribing cannabis to directly access patients’ healthcare records in a bid to “support safe prescribing”.
But the minister this week confirmed that “advice has, to date, not been sought” from the Jersey Office of the Information Commissioner, adding that the “refinement of the process” for granting clinics access to “relevant medical records is still ongoing”.
He was responding to a written States question from Deputy Karen Wilson, who asked what guidance had been requested from the Island’s data protection regulator and how patient privacy was being safeguarded as data access for private clinics expands.
Deputy Binet stressed that GPs remain the data controllers for their patients’ records.
The minister added he would “continue to work with the Primary Care Governance Board and the Primary Care Systems Board to ensure patient privacy and data security”.
Work is also under way to ensure that medicinal cannabis prescribing is controlled in law. This will include new requirements on who can prescribe medicinal cannabis and the standards they must adhere to – including a requirement to review patients’ medical record before prescribing.
