SUKL pays CZK 2.3m fine for illegal data collection

2010-08-11

The State Institute for Drug Inspection (SUKL) has paid a CZK 2.3m (€0.093m) fine for the illegal collection of sensitive data, according to the online magazine Tyden.cz. The fine was imposed by the Office for the Protection of Personal Data (UOOU) in March this year because of the company’s creation of a huge database of patient information without permission from the Office.
The database was officially launched in January 2009, at a cost of CZK 170m (€6.9m). However, it was in operation only until the summer of 2009, after it was ruled illegal by the UOOU. None of the patients had given their consent to have their personal data entered.
The databank was to have included information on medicines used, drug co-payments already made and the date of the next preventive check or vaccination. The system would also have allowed patients to report the ineffectiveness or side effects of specific drugs. However, pharmacists considered the database insufficient, because it included data on prescription drugs only, and not OTC products.
The Health Ministry intends to amend the appropriate act, after consultation with the UOOU, in order to introduce measures to make the operation of this database legal.