Having worked in an Orthopedic office for 2 years, I know all too well about patients (or others) coming in to pick up "so and so's" written script for OC and the like. About 1 year into my employment, they implemented a rule that not only did the person picking up ANYTHING at the front desk have to show ID, but if it was a medication prescription, then we had to have written confirmation from the patient themselves that this person may, at some time, pick up a prescription for them and would have to show ID. This form would have to be signed by both the patient and the person specified to pick up the written script. It was a lot to go through, but after explaining the types of fraud that happen, most new patients didn't mind having people or relatives sign the form. We even allowed them to take it home, get it signed and they could mail it back to our office where it was then placed in the patient's chart. Right on top so we could easily check if this person had "written" permission to pick something up for the patient. The part about taking it home sort of bothered me, because we weren't required to match signatures or anything like that... just ID. So, the patient could go home and figure out who might be picking something up for them and sign the form themselves and then mail it back. But, still, if a certain person was not "on the list" then NO GO. They got nothing!!

And boy, did it P*SS some people off. But I never EVER gave anyone anything that they didn't show ID for. Even if it was just a copy of a medical form or paperwork... nothing!!!
If your medical records get into the wrong hands, then the kind of thing mentioned above can happen all the time. And it will ruin the pharmacy's trust in you, the doctor's trust in you... blah blah blah... and it wouldn't even be your fault.

I was glad they started asking for ID all the time. And each time someone would get mad, I would explain a situation like the above... and suddenly, they were MORE THAN HAPPY to show their ID.

Just my two cents.

~~Briar