The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (PRC) has been in the forefront in asserting that pharmacies -- and their marketing partners, the big pharmaceutical companies -- act improperly when using the medical information in customer prescriptions to mail letters or call customers in order to sell more drugs. 

By Leslie Flint
J.D., 2007, University of San Diego School of Law;
B.A., 2001, University of Maryland at College Park.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction

II. Federal and State Law
III.  Policy Concerns
IV.  Recommendation

Submitted to the Federal Trade Commission
by the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

May 16, 2007

Federal Trade Commission
Office of the Secretary, Room 135 (Annex C)
600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20580
Filed electronically at: https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-modelform

Contributed by Aaron Titus

Summary

By Beth Givens

 If you think identity theft is bad now, wait until something called the Real ID Act goes into effect. This law federalizes and standardizes state driver’s licenses for all 50 states, and it will result in something that has been resisted in this country for a long time -- a de facto national identity card.

Until recently, the law on fax advertising was simple and straightforward: No one could send a fax advertisement without your prior consent. Of course, this did not stop the deluge of unwanted faxes touting hot stocks, mortgage offers, and vacation deals. Now, adding to the frustration about fax senders that simply ignore the law, Congress has created an exception for fax advertisements sent when you have an “established business relationship,” or EBR, with the sender.

As a responsible consumer, you want to know where your money goes. You also want to know that you have funds in your checking account to cover the checks you write. For years, you’ve probably engaged in that monthly ritual: You balance your checkbook using cancelled checks returned with your bank account statements. You’ve probably noticed that the mailings from your bank have recently gotten a lot lighter, and the checks you wrote last month never appear again. In this day of electronic transactions, it is the information on the check that’s important, not the check itself.

During the month of January, check your mailbox for information notices from organizations that have made taxable payments to you during the previous year.The most well-known information notice is the W-2 form which reports your taxable wages.  Another common information notice is the 1099 which reports payments of interest, dividends, unemployment compensation, Social Security benefits, and pension income.  

Submitted to the Federal Trade Commission

December 18 , 2006

Donald S. Clark, Secretary
Federal Trade Commission
Office of the Secretary, Room H-159 (Annex K)
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20580

Filed electronically: https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-tsr

RE: TSR Prerecorded Call Prohibition and Call Abandonment Standard Modification—Project No. R411001

We at the PRC wish you a happy, prosperous and private new year. For 2007, resolve to do what you can to guard against identity theft and stop unwanted intrusions via your mailbox, telephone, or fax machine. When it comes to privacy, there are no guarantees. But the following resolutions are a good way to start off the new year.