Hospital Network Tells Parents They’ll No Longer Be Able To View, Manage Children’s Prescriptions

A North Carolina-based hospital network has told parents they’ll no longer be able to view information about prescriptions for their children after they’re over the age of 12.

“Starting Nov. 1, 2023, you will no longer be able to access prescription information for children between the ages of 12-17,” states a letter sent to parents and legal guardians by Atrium Health’s CarolinaCARE home-delivery pharmacy.

The letter goes on to state, “This change is to protect the privacy of your child’s prescription records. It allows minors to receive prescription medication for sensitive issues as permitted by law, without worrying about how their parents might react.“

CarolinaCARE elaborates in a FAQ regarding the new policy, saying the change prevents parents from viewing their child’s prescriptions for a myriad of health issues.

“Up to age 12, parents/legal guardians can fully access all of their child’s prescription information. On the child’s 12th birthday, parental access is automatically blocked and parents will no longer see their child’s prescriptions,” a document on the policy change states.

“This may include treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and other diseases that must be reported to the state; pregnancy, drug or alcohol abuse; and mental health,” CarolinaCARE states.

The mention of prescriptions for “mental health” raises suspicions that parents will intentionally be kept uninformed so doctors can quietly prescribe hormone replacement therapy, puberty blockers, and other gender transition medications to children.

The new policy comes as the Republican-led General Assembly in North Carolina last August overrode Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes to enact a law restricting gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender youth.

It appears CarolinaCARE is attempting to side-step the NC law by claiming that as a home delivery service that caters to multiple states it must enact a blanket policy to simultaneously abide by the laws of various states.

Because CarolinaCARE is a home delivery pharmacy, it serves patients in multiple states with varying laws regarding access to health information, including prescriptions. This change is taking place in order to remain compliant with laws in all of the states CarolinaCARE services to ensure continued privacy of your child’s prescription records.