Using HIPAA compliant email for prescription and pharmacy coordination

A study titled Patient Use of Email, Facebook, and Physician Websites to Communicate with Physicians: A National Online Survey of Retail Pharmacy Users, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine explored how patients use email, Facebook, and physician websites to communicate with their healthcare providers. The survey included 2,252 retail pharmacy users and found that 37% had contacted their physicians via email within the past six months. The study demonstrates a strong patient interest in using electronic communication methods to interact with healthcare providers, suggesting a gap between patient preferences and the communication options currently provided by healthcare institutions.

Introducing HIPAA compliant email for prescription and pharmacy coordination will help bridge this gap by aligning healthcare communication methods with patient preferences while ensuring the privacy and security of sensitive health information. 

Why use HIPAA compliant email?

Protects PHI

Prescriptions often contain sensitive patient information that falls under the protection of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This includes personally identifiable information (PII) such as names, birth dates, and contact details, as well as protected health information (PHI) like medication names, dosages, treatment plans, and underlying diagnoses. When this data is transmitted between healthcare providers, pharmacies, and patients, it becomes vulnerable to unauthorized access, interception, or data breaches if not properly secured.

To mitigate this, HIPAA’s Security Rule Technical Safeguards (45 CFR § 164.312) require covered entities and business associates to “implement technical policies and procedures for electronic information systems that maintain electronic protected health information to allow access only to those persons or software programs that have been granted access rights.” The rule includes four implementation specifications:

• Unique user identification 
• Emergency access procedure 
• Automatic logoff 
• Encryption and decryption

Read also: What is the difference between PII and PHI?

Enhances workflow efficiency

Secure emails allow faster prescription communication, refill requests, and clarifications, reducing delays and minimizing phone tag between doctors and pharmacists. The study Electronic prescribing: Improving the efficiency and accuracy of prescribing in the ambulatory care setting, showed that secure electronic communication, including e-prescribing and secure messaging, significantly improve efficiency in managing prescriptions. Providers reported time savings through reduced need for clarifications, faster processing of refill requests, and minimized disruptions from phone or fax communications. Electronic systems streamlined workflow for both clinical and pharmacy staff, with physicians saving time on renewals and pharmacists spending less time on manual entry. Additionally, involving pharmacists in the refill process further boosted provider productivity by allowing them to focus more on patient care. 

Supports audit and documentation

HIPAA compliant systems often include logging and audit trails, which are useful for compliance checks and resolving disputes. These features automatically record who accessed or modified data, when, and what actions were taken, providing a verifiable history that supports compliance audits and investigations into potential breaches or disputes. For example, if a patient disputes a change to their medical record or questions unauthorized access, audit trails can confirm the sequence of events and the individuals involved. This not only aids in resolving disputes but also enhances security by enabling the detection of unusual or unauthorized activity. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) HIPAA Security Rule Technical Safeguards, “a regulated entity must implement hardware, software, and/or procedural mechanisms to record and examine activity in information systems that contain or use ePHI.”

How HIPAA compliant email enhances prescription and pharmacy workflow

Secure messaging in primary care clinics

The study The impact of secure messaging on workflow in primary care: Results of a multiple-case, multiple-method study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association examined the impact of secure messaging on workflow in primary care clinics. The findings indicated that secure messaging improved communication and information flow, aiding in the organization of work within clinics. The conclusions drawn in this study can also be applied to pharmacies, where clear, timely communication between pharmacists, providers, and patients is critical for managing prescriptions and medication queries. Just as in primary care clinics, secure messaging in pharmacies can streamline workflow, reduce phone call volume, and ensure that essential prescription information is communicated efficiently and accurately.

HIPAA compliant messaging in specialty pharmacies

A retrospective cohort analysis conducted at Providence Health and Services evaluated the implementation of a two-way, HIPAA compliant text-messaging platform in a health system specialty pharmacy. The study titled Evaluation of a two-way, HIPAA-compliant text-messaging platform in a health system specialty pharmacy, found that the use of secure messaging significantly decreased the response time for medication refills and improved medication adherence among patients with multiple sclerosis. ​

These studies and implementations demonstrate that HIPAA compliant communication tools can significantly improve pharmacy workflows by enhancing communication efficiency, reducing response times, and improving patient adherence to medication regimens.

Features of a HIPAA compliant email solution

Not all email services are created equal. To be truly HIPAA compliant, an email solution must include the following features:

Encryption

On December 30, 2024, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) introduced the first major updates to the HIPAA Security Rule, focusing on strengthening cybersecurity measures throughout the healthcare sector. Part of these updates was making encryption mandatory and not an addressable requirement. As such, the email content—including attachments—should be encrypted both in transit and at rest. This ensures that even if data is intercepted, it cannot be read by unauthorized parties.

Access control and authentication

In addition to making encryption mandatory, the proposed HIPAA Security Rule mandates that covered entities and their business associates implement multifactor authentication (MFA) as a means of access control. Strong access controls are essential safeguards in maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of protected health information (PHI) transmitted via email. MFA requires users to verify their identity through two or more independent credentials, like a password and a temporary code sent to a mobile device, making it significantly harder for unauthorized individuals to gain access, even if login details are compromised. Access controls minimize the risk of accidental or malicious data exposure and help healthcare organizations remain compliant with HIPAA requirements.

Read also: HHS proposes updated HIPAA security rule

Audit logs

Under § 164.312(b) of the HIPAA Security Rule Technical Safeguards, covered entities and their business associates must “Implement hardware, software, and/or procedural mechanisms that record and examine activity in information systems that contain or use electronic protected health information.” Therefore, HIPAA compliant email services maintain detailed logs of who accessed what and when. These logs are essential for compliance audits and internal reviews.

Business associate agreement (BAA)

“The HIPAA Rules generally require that covered entities and business associates enter into contracts with their business associates to ensure that the business associates will appropriately safeguard protected health information.  The business associate contract also serves to clarify and limit, as appropriate, the permissible uses and disclosures of protected health information by the business associate, based on the relationship between the parties and the activities or services being performed by the business associate,” writes the HHS. This means that if a covered entity uses external email providers to exchange PHI, including that included in prescriptions, there must be a BAA in place to hold the business associate accountable for any use, disclosure, and transmission of PHI. 

The Paubox solution

Paubox offers a seamless, HIPAA compliant email platform designed specifically for healthcare providers, including pharmacies and prescribers. Unlike traditional secure messaging systems that require patient portals or login credentials, Paubox enables users to send encrypted emails directly to recipients’ inboxes, without any extra steps. This frictionless experience ensures that prescription details, refill requests, and sensitive patient information can be exchanged securely and conveniently. With built-in encryption, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and robust access controls, Paubox helps healthcare organizations maintain regulatory compliance while improving communication efficiency. For pharmacies and providers looking to streamline prescription workflows and strengthen patient engagement, Paubox delivers a trusted, user-friendly solution.

FAQS

What is HIPAA compliant email?

HIPAA compliant email is a secure email service that meets the privacy and security requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). It ensures that any protected health information (PHI) sent electronically is encrypted, secure, and accessible only to authorized users.

Do patients need a special account to receive HIPAA compliant emails?

Some HIPAA compliant email services allow patients to receive secure messages without creating an account, while others require accessing a secure portal. Solutions like Paubox offer seamless encryption, so recipients don’t need to log in or manage credentials.

Can healthcare providers use personal email accounts for prescriptions if they encrypt the message?

No. Even with encryption, personal email accounts like Gmail or Yahoo are not HIPAA compliant unless the provider has signed a BAA with the platform and properly configured the account. Using personal accounts also risks mismanagement of sensitive data.

Go deeper: Why personal email accounts are not HIPAA compliant