The Commissioner is concerned that while publicly run health bodies are subject to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, other private health companies, such as pharmacists, dentists, chiropractors, et cetera, are not. Given concerns about the practice of companies selling health information to drug manufacturers and potential invasion of privacy issues, the Commissioner would like to see legislation enacted similar to the Health Information Act of Alberta. This legislation regulates the practices of all public and private health organizations and companies in respect to the release of information, among other issues.
The standing committee agrees that there is a need to protect the public from disclosure of health information by private health care companies. This legislated protection should either be included under the current Northwest Territories Access to Information and Protection of Privacy legislation or should be a part of a new law designed to protect NWT citizens.